January 15, 2024
Minseo Kim
Smart Farm, a new cultivation technology, is in the spotlight now that food production has become more difficult than population growth due to the climate crisis. Smart Farm refers to a cultivation method that utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence when growing crops. It is not a method of exposure to external weather and it is difficult to know the wind and disaster. Still, it is a method of carefully managing and growing crops in factories designed with accurate data. Employees of Global Posts visited Gimje Smart Farm Innovation Valley and explored the principles of smart farms with smart farmer Kim Ki-hyun.
Q. What are the white devices under the crop?
A. This is called the Fencoil Unit (FCU), which has a geothermal heat pump installed. So the temperature in the basement inside the geothermal area is always set at around 13 degrees. In the summer, it can be cooled down. Tomatoes are usually very hard to grow in the summer. But since we have air conditioning here, we can produce them.
Q. What are the technical aspects of smart farms?
A. As you can see, we are not growing them on the ground, but on the medium. Water comes from the dripper here, and the crops are watered as much as they want. So, how do you measure the water content of the medium? We use a scale. If it is full of water, let's say it's 15 kilograms, and we'll measure it later, and let's say it's 13 kilograms. So the plant consumed 2 kilograms of water. We're using a scale where certain sensors are installed.
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