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Buwalda, F.

Wageningen Yield 

28
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES 
FOR REMOTE PRODUCTION 
SUPPORT
By Fokke Buwalda, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture
 
Investments in Dutch greenhouses and production systems 
are being made all around the world. Installing hardware 
does not in itself guarantee success, however. Much more 
is required. Thanks to the intensive use of internet tech-
nologies this hardware can now be delivered with crop 
support from the Netherlands, aided by simulation models 
developed by Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture.
 
Intelligent use of internet tools enables growers worldwide to 
receive production support from the Netherlands. Dutch crop 
consultancy ﬁrm GreenQ is one of the leading players in this 
emerging ﬁeld, already supporting scores of companies abroad. 
Production support is provided by means of weekly consultations 
via Skype, based on data downloaded from the climate computer 
and optional crop sensors. Production registration and crop 
images made by the grower on site are an essential addition.
 
Remote support
“Production support in other regions than the Netherlands is 
complex. There are many aspects involved,” according to Herbert 
Stolker of GreenQ. The ﬁrst step is to make a production plan, 
in which the successful Dutch production method is adapted 
to ﬁt the actual local conditions. The subsequent realisation of 
the production plan is a matter of monitoring, timely detec-
tion of deviations and making the necessary adjustments. 
 
One of the companies making use of remote production sup-
port is Alexander Melnychenko’s nursery in the Ukraine. Last 
year, Melnychenko switched from growing roses to cultivating 
tomatoes and hired GreenQ for support. On-line support is 
provided weekly, whereas a GreenQ consultant travels to the 
Ukraine for an on-site visit once a month. “These visits are 
extremely important,” underlined Stolker. “Support via the 
computer alone is insuﬃcient and it is not enough for consultants 
to only get data from the company. They also need to actually 
see and feel the situation in the greenhouse once in a while.” 
Perspective
“Monitoring and simulation models are playing an increasingly 
important role in greenhouse horticulture via remote produc-
tion management and advisory systems,” said Fokke Buwalda of 
Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. By providing extra infor-
mation about the crop status and calculating production forecasts, 
models can narrow the gap between consultant and grower. Service 
quality increases, while the necessity of costly and time-consuming 
company visits abroad is reduced. During the HortiSeminar, 
Buwalda introduced a new online model that can link to informa-
tion systems from other parties, such as GreenQ’s GreenScheduler. 
It is the ﬁrst in a series of next-generation online models under 
development by Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. 
Interest in this new service has already been shown from India, the 
Middle East, several Eastern European countries and the USA. 
 
Partner in this HortiSeminar: GreenQ
ADVANCED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS


Global opportunities for remote production support

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