Articles
THE USE OF MODELS IN GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Article number
491_12
Pages
93 – 100
Language
Abstract
Models of greenhouse environments and crop responses have been used successfully to investigate ways of creating greenhouse environments and explain the major features of crop performance.
Developing from this there has been increasing interest in the direct use of models in environmental control.
The potential benefit has been identified in theoretical analyses and demonstrated in controlled experiments but there has been less progress in the practical realisation of optimal control.
This in part reflects the fact that research is still revealing shortcomings in the quantitative understanding of some processes, however, improvements in model representation alone is unlikely to be sufficient.
For use in control models must be simple, robust and universal.
Where simple models can be used, e.g. for heating and irrigation control, some practical capability has been demonstrated.
There is now an expectation that simplified approaches may be useful for more complex problems like the optimisation of CO2 enrichment.
A crucial step in the exploitation of model based control will be grower acceptability.
This may require the combination of quantitative modelling and artificial intelligence tools to ensure that an appropriate balance between grower knowledge and model prediction is achieved.
Developing from this there has been increasing interest in the direct use of models in environmental control.
The potential benefit has been identified in theoretical analyses and demonstrated in controlled experiments but there has been less progress in the practical realisation of optimal control.
This in part reflects the fact that research is still revealing shortcomings in the quantitative understanding of some processes, however, improvements in model representation alone is unlikely to be sufficient.
For use in control models must be simple, robust and universal.
Where simple models can be used, e.g. for heating and irrigation control, some practical capability has been demonstrated.
There is now an expectation that simplified approaches may be useful for more complex problems like the optimisation of CO2 enrichment.
A crucial step in the exploitation of model based control will be grower acceptability.
This may require the combination of quantitative modelling and artificial intelligence tools to ensure that an appropriate balance between grower knowledge and model prediction is achieved.
Publication
Authors
B.J. Bailey, W. Day
Keywords
Models, environmental control, greenhouse environment
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