HortiSense and LetsGrow start a new collaboration

Fewer sensors in the greenhouse, lower costs and greater consistency between data. Those are the most important advantages of the collaboration between LetsGrow and HortiSense. Through a link, data from the climate computer is now also available in HortiSense, the digital platform of Hortilux.

HortiSense helps to get more out of your grow lighting installation and to increase and optimize the return per m2. To realize this goal, Hortilux places special sensors in greenhouses. The measured data is collected, integrated and presented via www.hortisense.com. “These sensors measure for example the temperature, the CO2 level and the relative humidity in the greenhouse. This data is important to calculate the effectivity of the grow light’, explains Ad Zwinkels, HortiSense operations manager by Hortilux. “A lot of the data used is also collected by LetsGrow. This is an online platform which registers and analyzes grow related data via a link with the sources in the greenhouse, among which is the climate computer. In short: there was an overlap.”

End of duplicate sensors

These duplicate measurements now belong in the past; thanks to the collaboration between Hortilux and LetsGrow, it is possible to create a link with which HortiSense imports the data from the climate computer automatically. This happens via an API: a connection which makes it possible for the software programs to communicate. “Importing data from the climate computer requires special knowledge. LetsGrow has this knowledge and we use their knowledge”, says Zwinkels.

The biggest advantage of this link is that the growers don’t have to invest in extra sensors for the use of HortiSense. “Data will not be retrieved twice, because there are no duplicate sensors in the greenhouse anymore. As a result, growers save on their investment and maintenance of sensors. And let’s not forget: there is only one truth. In practice we see that data about temperature can differ between sensors, even though they hang at almost the same location.”

Zwinkels expresses that Hortilux still needs to install sensors to collect data which is necessary for HortiSense, however not the ones which are collected by the climate computer. “Think for example about data regarding the temperature in transformer stations.”

Different approach

Naturally we ask the grower for permission to import the data from the climate computer to HortiSense. “We don’t do anything if the customer doesn’t want it”, expresses Zwinkels. “Growers who are an existing customer of LetsGrow can approach LetsGrow to realise the link with HortiSense. Growers who are not a LetsGrow customer, can contact HortiSense.”

The HortiSense operations manager has noticed that some growers do not know the exact difference between LetsGrow and HortiSense. “LetsGrow collects, presents, compares and analyzes all kinds of data from different sources. For example the climate computer or path registration. HortiSense, on the other hand, focuses on the optimization of the grow lighting installation, and the return per m2. Data relating to grow light is processed in reports and graphs and calculations are released. This gives the grower valuable and supporting information to steer the cultivation. There is essentially a different approach.”

Extending collaboration

In the future the collaboration between HortiSense and LetsGrow will extend further. “Data driven growing will become more important; we want to work together on this”, expresses LetsGrow manager Peter Hendriks. “The starting point is that we both do what we are good at: Hortilux focuses on grow light, as LetsGrow focuses on specialized cultivation business. The collaboration will offer HortiSense users extra possibilities. Think about monitoring the growth of the crop via the digital platform.”