Climate controlled greenhouse using ICT

It is well known that different plants require different climate and soil conditions to grow. Most fruits and vegetables, for example, do not grow in extremely cold temperatures, which is a common feature of countries in the Western hemisphere.

However, the advent of ICT controlled climate stabilized greenhouses seeks to change that. Heaters and fans installed throughout the greenhouse can be used to control the temperature inside the greenhouse. A central software system can collect data from the temperature sensors and use the heaters and fans to stabilize the temperature inside to a level best suited for the plants being grown inside. 

Additionally, soil can be replaced with hydroponics. In hydroponics, the plant roots are suspended inside a nutrient medium which contains just the right amount of nutrients for ideal growth of the plant in question. Once again, the central software system can collect data from sensors placed inside the hydroponic medium to monitor if the nutrient levels are appropriate, and adjust the levels accordingly for best growth. 

Plants grow significantly faster using this method when compared to traditional agriculture methods, because we don't have to worry about pests, drought, and cold weather. Plants can be grown in areas where they traditionally wouldn't grow. For example, tropical vegetables such as tomatoes can be grown in the icy winters of Sweden. Also, plants absorb nutrients from a hydroponic medium much faster than from soil. Pesticides do not have to be applied to the plants, since there are no pests to get rid of. Thus, the food being grown inside the greenhouse is much healthier than those grown in a field using pesticides.

As the world population keeps growing at an alarming rate and land for farming gets more and more scarce, innovative farming methods can help keep the new population fed. This technology has already been implemented in Japan with a high level of success. Research needs to be carried out to determine how useful it would be in Bangladesh.