The first intelligent greenhouse has been created in Salento, Italy, and presented to the public as the final product of the SIMPLe project, coordinated by CMCC. It is a network of interconnected smart sensors with the ability to communicate with farmers in real time, and to regulate the use of fertilizers and water, for maximum efficiency.

On Friday, June 16, 2023, the outcomes of the SIMPLe – Integrated and automated systems for indoor farming, were presented during a seminar titled “Integrated Automated Systems for Indoor Cultivation”, at the University of Salento.

The event was an occasion for presenting the innovative and highly technological greenhouse, created through a joint effort between the project partners. The 4.0 greenhouse has its own “nervous system” composed of interconnected smart sensors and the ability to communicate with farmers in real time.

The SIMPLe project has the goal to act as a bridge between traditional farming and agricultural innovation, with a special focus on sustainability and accessible affordability.

“We can say that the main goal of the project was reached with the full implementation of the smart greenhouse,” said Matteo Bellotta, of CMCC’s Impacts on Agriculture, Forests and Ecosystem Services (IAFES) Division.

“This technology was designed in a way to be easily transferable for use by as many farming companies as possible,” said Bellotta. “So our goal is now to disseminate the information about this technology, hoping that this will work as a pilot case for an extensive application throughout the territory.”

SIMPLe is a joint venture between 9 partners, coordinated by the CMCC Foundation. “CMCC has a double role in the project,” said Bellotta. “It acts as a coordinator, but it also gives an important scientific contribution, mainly through the provision of the necessary agroclimatic indicators information for short and medium to long-term crop planning and the Life Cycle Assessment analysis of the horticultural production process.”

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) estimates the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint) and water consumption of the intelligent eco-greenhouse, compared to a traditional greenhouse. The LCA performed on the SIMPLe greenhouse highlighted that the biggest savings in terms of environmental impacts were on components such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and water.

“The analysis conducted by CMCC confirmed a higher level of sustainability of the greenhouse that we designed in the context of the SIMPLe project, compared to traditional greenhouses,” said Bellotta. “And this is perfectly in line with the CMCC mission and scientific goals.”

“The presentation of the SIMPLe project results,” said Lucio Colizzi, scientific director of the project, “has been an extraordinary opportunity to highlight the importance of a sustainable and technologically advanced approach in agriculture. The experimental greenhouse, with its integrated technologies, represents a significant step forward towards a more ecological and efficient agriculture. It is crucial to understand that modern agriculture can no longer afford to waste precious resources such as water, and to pollute the soil with excessive fertilizers. We are confident that this eco-friendly and hi-tech greenhouse will serve as a reference model for a future of agriculture that is sustainable, efficient, and capable of addressing the environmental challenges we face today. We will continue to work towards promoting an agriculture 4.0 that is environmentally friendly while ensuring the competitiveness and prosperity of farming businesses.”