With a background in engineering and biochip development , Minseok Lee never expected to end up in husbandry . However , a prof ’s words changed his perspective : " USDA is the oldest industry , yet the last to fully benefit from engineering . If you practice your experience in managing extremely sore environments , where even a speck of rubble or fluid stream must be control , and your curiosity in undiscovered areas like biotechnology , you could make a meaningful contribution to humanity through agriculture . " Inspired by this , Minseok saw an opportunity to bring integrated management and preciseness to greenhouse environments , much like he had done in highly master biotech setting . Now , he is cobalt - laminitis and Cultivation Director at ioCrops ' commercial-grade glasshouse .
Building a smarter greenhouse workforceFor Minseok , one of the most rewarding aspect of his work at ioCrops is witnessing the growth of his team . " By applying a integrated production management system , we ’ve been able to standardize and routinize body of work . This has dramatically reduced the time call for to build knowledge and experience , " he explains .
This integrated approach has also foster collaborationism between the agriculture and engineering science teams at ioCrops . " The candid mindset toward applied science is what drives strong and proactive teamwork , " he adds . The result ? A cortege of smart tools — Ation , ioFarm , and Hermai — that enhance not only glasshouse operations but also the expertise of the workforce .
plow labor challenge with AtionLabor dependance remains a major challenge in greenhouse management . According to Minseok , " Environmental strategy only work when tasks are executed precisely and on time . But a stable supply of skilled labour is rarely guaranteed . " To tackle this , ioCrops evolve Ation , a digital system designed to belittle human variability while improving functional dependability .
Ation streamlines daily tasks in three key ways :
By meliorate task execution of instrument and melt off inefficiency , Ation enhances overall productivity . " We ’ve significantly reduced the sentence required for undertaking assignment , monitor progress , and identify field payoff , " Minseok notes .
Early pest detectionA key trial run for Ation add up in managing pest outbreaks . " In 2024 , at a greenhouse without Ation , a worker misidentified a pest , leading to delayed treatment and significant crop loss , " Minseok recalls . However , during the 2025 time of year , Ation activate the ioCrops team to identify the pest a calendar month to begin with than usual . " By tracking affected area and analyzing photos in real - time , we reduced likely damage by more than 90 % compared to the previous yr , " he says .
Data - driven decision makingBeyond labor management , Ation help quantify data that was antecedently pretermit . " In Korea , craw growth data is gaining recognition , but metric unit like task speed , pest damage grasp , or reaction costs are still underutilized , " Minseok explains .
By turning labor performance and usable costs into mensurable data points , ioCrops enable greenhouse handler to shift from gut - found decisions to data point - drive strategies . " This objectiveness is the first whole step toward improving infrastructure , workflows , and process , " he add .
Bridging the cognition col in nursery operationsOne of the vainglorious challenge in greenhouse management is the shortage of experienced hustler . Traditionally , greenhouse proprietor relied on external consultants via calls or electronic mail , often lead to miscommunication and delays . Ation changes this by centralizing information and clear it accessible to all stakeholders . " Now , remote supervisor can provide worthful feedback based on actual - time data point , reducing colony on a single expert ’s hunch , " says Minseok .
Unexpected benefitsAn out of the blue vantage of Ation has been its power to benchmark ioCrops ' performance against other nursery . " We recently started grow tomatoes , and by comparing our labor fastness and harvest home loudness with data from larger farm , we identified fundamental domain for improvement , " Minseok shares .
While direct comparison are n’t always potential due to difference of opinion in infrastructure and workforce , simply get comparable figures allows squad to ask the proper questions . " This is essential for build up objectivity into our operations , " he emphasizes .
Iron ManMinseok compares the theatrical role of greenhouse technology to an Iron Man suit : " There are minute when others wear off the courting , or the lawsuit operate on their own — but only Tony Stark can unlock its full potential . That ’s because he understands its features , limitation , and how to ferment in sync with it . "
likewise , greenhouse engineering is only as knock-down as the grower ’s power to expend it effectively . " The key is n’t just the prick — it ’s the grower ’s understanding and power to apply them , " he concludes .
ioCrops is currently offering Ation demos to greenhouse growers worldwide . Click herefor more information about Ation .
For more information : ioCrops[email protected]https://www.iocrops.com/
© FloralDaily.com/Elvira Oosterbaan
