How Digital Twins are Transforming Controlled Environment Agriculture
As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change, overpopulation, and increasing food insecurity, traditional agricultural practices are proving to be unsustainable. In Canada, one-in-six families struggle to provide adequate food, highlighting the urgency of finding innovative solutions. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA), which involves growing crops in artificial environments, is gaining traction as a viable alternative. However, the complexity of CEA requires computer-aided support. This is where digital twins, high-fidelity simulations of physical systems, come into play. Developed by the Sustainable Systems and Methods (SSM) lab at McMaster University, digital twins offer a promising solution to optimize crop growth and reduce energy consumption in CEA.
The Power of Digital Twins in Controlled Environment Agriculture
CEA relies on sophisticated machinery, including HVAC, irrigation, and lighting systems, to create an isolated environment for crop growth. With the aid of automation, controlled environments can achieve higher yields and better quality compared to traditional farming methods. However, this increased complexity poses challenges in determining the optimal growth strategy and minimizing energy consumption. This is where digital twins prove invaluable.
Digital twins are virtual representations of physical objects, people, or processes. In precision agriculture, they enable real-time monitoring and control of environmental conditions to stimulate optimal and sustainable crop growth. By providing a live dashboard of environmental conditions, digital twins empower growers to make informed decisions. They can also autonomously control the environment, reducing energy consumption and improving the crop-to-energy ratio. Additionally, digital twins can be used in the design of new greenhouses, leveraging data collected over time to optimize future structures.
Overcoming Economic Challenges in Adopting Digital Twins
While the potential benefits of digital twins in agriculture are clear, the economic feasibility of their adoption must be considered. Developing digital twins and enhancing digital maturity in farming companies are the primary cost drivers. The costs associated with hardware and software development can be mitigated through gradual experimentation and the use of cost-effective solutions. However, industry-grade subsystems and organizational digital strategies require significant investments.
Agriculture is one of the least digitalized sectors, necessitating a focus on digital maturity before the widespread adoption of digital twins can occur. Costs related to cloud providers, data strategies, and software licenses can overshadow technical costs. Organizations must carefully navigate this digitalization process, seeking guidance from experts to ensure successful implementation.
The Path to Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
The urgency for food security and sustainable production has never been greater. With climate change, forest fires, air pollution, energy crises, and population growth, achieving food self-sufficiency is a global priority. The United Nations General Assembly’s second sustainability development goal, eradicating global hunger by 2030, requires a paradigm shift in agriculture.
Digitalization, coupled with the use of digital twins, offers a promising path towards meeting this ambitious goal. Although obstacles remain, the decreasing costs of hardware and computing power are making digitally driven smart agriculture a reality. Collaborations between industry and academia are key to advancing digitalization efforts in the agricultural sector.
Conclusion:
Digital twins are revolutionizing agriculture, particularly in controlled environment settings, by providing real-time monitoring, autonomous control, and improved energy efficiency. While economic challenges exist, the increasing accessibility of technology is driving the adoption of digital twins in agriculture. As the world strives for food security and sustainable production, digitalization and the use of digital twins offer a promising solution. With continued innovation and collaboration, agriculture can undergo a transformative shift, ensuring a more resilient and efficient food system for future generations.
Leave a Reply