Data Driven Growing in Practice

Whitepaper

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Introduction

Data is a hot topic in the horticultural sector. More and more companies are implementing data-based
solutions. A lot of new research and development is based on data and therefore also vacancies for
data analysts in horticulture start to pop up. However, why has data become so essential? Is data
analysis really that profitable? Which data should be collected? How important is data quality?
How to start with data analysis? Which tools must be used?
For answering these questions, understanding the fundamentals of data analysis is crucial.
In this whitepaper, some important requirements are discussed to get started with data-driven growing
in practice.

Glossary

1. Data cleaning: the process of detecting and correcting inaccurate values from a dataset
2. Descriptive statistics: values that summarize a dataset
3. Information: analysed data in a specific context
4. Linear interpolation: constructing new data points by assuming that there is a straight line between
known data points
5. Metadata: data that describes other data
6. Raw data: any data that is not processed either manually or by computer software
7. SMART criteria: goals which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound
8. Typo: a small mistake in a text or number made when it was entered
9. Heatmap: a visualization to show spatial differences in a greenhouse such as air temperatur

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Data collection

To get started with data-driven growing, data needs to be Where is this data coming from and how to store all this
available. Therefore, the first step is the collection of data. data?

Sensor-generated data

A modern greenhouse is equipped with a computer

system for climate control. The climate computer controls
the installations and equipment with the use of sensors.
Besides the sensors needed by the climate computer for
climate control, there can be additional sensors installed
in a greenhouse. For instance, a network of wireless
sensors for measuring variation in greenhouse tempera-
ture or a thermographic camera for recording differences
in plant temperature.

Sensors collect data that can give useful insights into the Example of sensor-generated data: a thermographic photo which shows the
differences in plant temperature
growth strategy. To find the optimal strategy data analysis
can be part of the solution. Sensor-generated data should
be of high-quality to be used for data analysis. Using high-quality sensor-generated data will
For example, when making the comparison between prevent drawing false conclusions at the end of an
greenhouse conditions from this year with last year, regu- analysis.
lar calibration of the sensors is required. Another aspect
is the absolute accuracy of a sensor.

When comparing data from two different types of air tem-

perature sensors, it is important to check if the accuracy
is within a similar range. Otherwise, a correction is nee-
ded, or the focus must be on trends instead of absolute
values.

Crop registrations

To place the sensor generated data in the right context,

additional data has to be gathered from the crop. Crop
registration is usually done manually and once per week.
Data collection concerning crop registrations can result in
gaining further insights into crop growth and develop-
ment. With data from crop registrations, the effect of the
short- and long-term changes of climate conditions are
made visible, and the right conclusions can be drawn.
Data entry app for crop registrations
Moreover, if the climate strategy was changed due to a
crop observation, a question should be raised about the Consistently measuring plant characteristics at regular in-
effectiveness of this adjustment. tervals is the basis of a high-quality dataset.

To be able to compare the observations from the crop
with the climate registrations, the measurements of the
crop should be done close to the aspirator box and oth-
er relevant sensors. Just like the sensor-generated data,
the quality of crop registration is critical. In contradiction
to automated data collection, the manual data collection
(crop registration) is subject to the ‘human error’.
To reduce the risk of errors, it is important to be very pun
tual with crop registration.
Typos are also a common source of errors, for example
when copying the data from a handwritten notebook to a
digital spreadsheet. Therefore, filling in the registrations
with an app is less error sensitive. Another advantage is
that a data entry app can be used for several purposes. It
is possible to scout pests and diseases, but also to take
photos of pests or other remarkable crops observations.

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Metadata

During data collection, it is also important to focus on misconceptions about the context of the data. Creating
the metadata. This is data that provide information a high-quality dataset takes time and commitment but is
about other data. For example, having a column in the indispensable for a correct analysis. After all, “garbage in
spreadsheet with the name “temperature” raises many is garbage out!”
questions. Is it the greenhouse temperature or the outside
temperature? What is the unit, Celsius or Fahrenheit?
How and where is it measured? Having this information
prevents having

Storage and Privacy

The rate whereby new data is created is still increasing. It
is a fact that 90% of the total data storage in the world has
been collected within the past two years! Also in advanced
greenhouses, more and more data is collected. For a
climate computer in an advanced greenhouse, roughly
7.500 data samples are collected per hectare per day, and
this number is increasing rapidly. Just think about data
generation by new wired and wireless sensors, (thermal)
cameras, packing machines and harvesting robots.
However, how do we store this huge amount of data?
There are different storage mediums available.
a local computer or on an external disk. All these mediums
have their storage location and format; think about the
different date and time formats or separators. Because
of this incompatibility, the use of data from different
sources is often problematic. The solution is a central
data platform. By using one platform with one standard
format for data storage, the risk of errors is tremendously
reduced which makes data analysis much more efficient.
Using one platform for all data resources makes it easier
to manage all the data at once.

The greenhouse temperature measurement from

an aspirator box is locally stored on the hard drive of the
climate computer. Data from wireless sensors can be
stored in the cloud on multiple servers. Crop registrations
can be written down in a notebook or filled into a
spreadsheet stored on

The role of a central data platform

When the amount of data increases, storage becomes
more and more complex. There are several key factors
regarding data storage such as capacity, performance,
accessibility, and security. Significant amounts of data
have to be stored, and
this data needs to be accessible 24/7 by multiple users
worldwide. It requires specific knowledg to set up and
maintain a data storage environment which meets these
requirements.

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Besides the technical challenges about data storage, also
an ethical aspect such as privacy is significant. In this
situation, the discussion is not about the privacy of search
history on Google, Facebook or YouTube but actually
about the business strategy of a company. Important
subjects to the debate about the privacy of data are for
example ownership, users and sharing. In this discussion,
the user is not always automatically the owner of the data.
Data cleaning
As discussed, sensor calibration and consistent crop
registrations are essential for good data quality. Before
the dataset can be used for analysis, the data must be
cleaned. The idea of data cleaning is simple; it is the
process of making raw data “clean”. Even a calibrated
sensor can break down and cause errors in the dataset
that should not be taken into account when calculating
descriptive statistics such as the mean value. Therefore
data cleaning is required to improve the quality of the
dataset.
Data cleaning can be done with all kind of tools, scripts
or algorithms. Before doing this, it is important to think
about which data is needed for the analysis. Keeping the
dataset as small as possible can save much time. When
all the required data is selected, it is time to focus on the
actual data cleaning.
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The producer of the sensor, or the owner of the platform
on which the data is stored, could claim that they are also
owners of the data and that they are allowed to use it for
other purposes. Therefore, you should use a transparent
platform that clearly states that the client is the owner of
his data. The client should be the only one to decide who
has access to the data and with whom the data is shared.
First, you have to get an idea of what the data looks like. A
good start is to calculate some descriptive statistics such
as mean, minimum and maximum values. These statistics
can be compared with prior knowledge about the dataset.
Therefore, it is crucial that the person responsible for data
analysis has some background knowledge.
For example, if the maximum value for greenhouse relative
humidity in the dataset is 10 then probably some column
names are mixed up, like humidity deficit with relative
humidity. These statistics are helpful to detect possible
errors. A second approach for data cleaning is to visualize
the data. A simple graph with date and time on the X-axis
gives a lot of information. Does the hourly, daily or even
yearly fluctuations match with your hypothesis? Is the
outside temperature higher during the summer period? By
answering these simple questions, errors can
be detected in the dataset.
Example of a graph showing incorrect data
After creating a clear view of the observed errors in the
dataset, it is time to find a solution. There are numerous
possible dataset quality problems, but most of them con-
cern incorrect and incomplete data. Like the example in
the graph above where there is an outlier in daily radiation
sum because the sum was calculated for two days.
Different techniques can be used to deal with these pro-
blems in order to make the dataset as clean as possible.
On the one hand, replacing incorrect or missing values
with new values is a good way to go. When replacing an
incorrect or missing value, it is always the question of how
certain and representative the new value is. If there is a
gap in greenhouse temperature of five minutes (5min),
you can safely use the average of the 5min value before
and 5 min ahead (linear interpolation).
However, if the gap with missing values is large, let’s say a
few hours, it might be better to remove (not use) the rows
with missing values.
Even if this leads to a gap in the time series, which again
can make the dataset useless for analysis. When compa-
ring, for example, the relationship
between greenhouse temperature and daily radiation sum,
it might be better even to remove days with incorrect va-
lues. Also think about the days during which the old crop
has been removed and the new crop has been planted.
There is no clear guidebook for data cleaning. Every da-
taset has its issues, and the possible solutions depend
mainly on the goal of the analysis. Eventually, the data
analysis should provide correct and reliable conclusions.
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Data analysis
To convert a good quality dataset into results the data
analysis is an important step. However, data analysis on
itself is a broad concept. First of all, it is essential to define
a clear goal and objectives to achieve good results. It is
recommended to test the defined goals and objectives on
the SMART criteria. This prevents vague goals such as
“optimizing growth” or “saving energy”. Creating goals
and objectives prevents getting stuck in data analysis.
In general, there are four types of data analysis: descriptive,
diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analysis. Each type
is related to one of the following questions:
Different types of data analysis
Graphs
Visualization is an import aspect of descriptive analytics.
Through visuals such as graphs and diagrams, it is
possible to share and present the results of an event
transparently.
There are different types of visualizations: line chart,
bar chart, histogram, scatterplot, etc. which all can be
very useful but not in every situation. The appropriate
visualization can be selected based on data type, the
number of variables, and if the dataset is chronologically
ordered or not.
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What happened? Why did it happen? What will happen?
What is the best that could happen? Finding answers on
the last question requires a more complex analysis than
finding answers on the first question, but the business
value of those answers is also more significant. The
results of each data analysis can be different, depending
on the goal and type of analysis. The outcome can be a
dashboard with graphs to show the results, a report with
statistical analysis or even a predictive machine learning
model.This whitepaper focusses on sense and response;
what happened and why did it happen?
A good visualization can result in an excellent data
interpretation without any additional information. This
implies meaningful axis names, title name, and explanation
of different colours or line/ dot types (legend).
In most cases, a simple line chart in a spreadsheet is
informative enough, for example, to show the yearly
variation in radiation sum. In the case of large datasets,
which contains huge amounts of information, data
visualization becomes an art project on itself.
To make data analysis more clear, let’s take a look at the
following example. A grower observes that the production
at location A is always higher than at location B. Now the
grower wants to know why the production was higher at
location A by using data analysis. In this situation, a line
A line graph with the greenhouse temperature of location A (red) and location B (blue)
However, it can be challenging to search for trends from
the line graph. For example, on some days the greenhouse
temperature can be higher at location A and vice versa.
Specific tools havebeen developed to extract trends from
a line graph.
The greenhouse temperature of two locations grouped per hour. In month May the temperature of location A (red) was on
average lower during the night and warmer during the day.
When looking at a line chart, it can be hard to detect
deviations, especially when having many measurements.
It is possible that the average greenhouse temperature at
A “spaghetti graph” with a lot of single measurements
graph is a good start for visualizing what happened.
The difference in production could be related to greenhouse
climate. For example, plotting greenhouse temperatures
for a month can show that there is a difference between
these two locations.
For example, the tool which groups data per hour. With
this method, it becomes clear at what time of the day
the average temperature at location B deviates from the
average temperature at location A.
two locations is quite similar, but there can be a difference
between single measurements. Combining all this data in
one line graph is a so-called “spaghetti graph”.
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Therefore, it is possible to display only data that deviate
from the average of all measurements in a graph. A set
margin can be visualised as a shaded area in the graph.
Only lines outside the margin are visible, and these are
The shaded area shows the average (including a margin) of lines in the graph above. The lines outside the
shaded area represent deviations
Although graphs can be helpful by directly visualizing
essential information, they could also be misleading.
Especially, when wrongly scaling the y-axis. A scale that
is too large will mask differences, while a scale that is too
Dashboards
To observe “what happened”, making graphs is essential.
For the next step, “why did it happen”, it is vital to combine
data from different sources. Therefore, a dashboard is
handy. Using a dashboard makes it possible to connect
data from crop registrations with sensorgenerated data.
It is also possible to combine different types of
visualizations like gauges, graphs, and a heatmap. A
heatmap visualises the temperature distribution on a map
of the greenhouse based on data of multiple (wireless)
temperature and RH sensors. A heatmap can also be used
for visualising the developmen of pests and diseases in
the greenhouse.
Example of a dashboard showing different types of visualizations
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moments which requires extra attention. With this tool,
it is possible to visualize directly when the temperature
of a single measurement deviates from the average
greenhouse temperature including the set margin.
small will over emphasize minor differences. Furthermore,
adding too much information into a graph makes it hard to
draw the right conclusions. “A diagram must tell a single
story and not multiple stories at once”.
A dashboard can be useful to provide answers to several
questions with a single glance. For example, it can
answer why there is a difference in yield between two
greenhouse locations. There can be multiple answers
to this question, but a dashboard makes it much easier
to find those answers. A logical explanation can be that
both greenhouses were using a different climate strategy.
Typically, the climate strategy implies multiple interrelated
factors. Therefore it is essential to monitor the climate
in such a way that this strategy becomes visible. This is
explained in the next section.
Climate Monitor
To achieve high productivity in combination with
efficient use of resources, adjusting the optimal settings
for controlling the abiotic factors in the greenhouse
environment such as temperature, humidity and CO2 is
essential. This is also called the climate strategy. However,
deviations often occur in practice. Such deviations cause
a less ideal greenhouse climate and are not beneficial for
the crop growth and development. However, how to track
these deviations? Moreover, how to assess the quality of
the realised climate compared to the climate strategy?
The crop experiences the growth climate as a combination
of light, temperature, humidity, and CO2.
Climate Monitor graph, showing the degree of balance of the growing climate. If the green vertical line reaches 100%, all growth factors are within
the specified limits, so the climate is in balance.
Plant Balance RTR
Besides monitoring the quality of the greenhouse climate,
it is essential to get insights into the assimilate balance
of the plant. It is known that the production of assimilates
depends mainly on the total light sum per day, and that
the plant growth rate largely depends on the average 24-
hour temperature. The development of the plant, therefore,
is determined mainly by the Radiation-Temperature-
Visualization of the Radiation-Temperature-Ratio (RTR)
At each radiation level, the other factors should be within
specific limit values to form the best combination of
conditions for photosynthesis and growth. This ensures
that the plant remains in balance, with optimum production
and quality. For this reason, the basic concept of the
Climate Monitor is focussing on the right mix of growth
factors in the greenhouse. Its visualisation provides quick
and accessible insight into the quality of the greenhouse
climate. It is possible to see at which moments, which limit
values are exceeded and therefore, where improvements
in climate control can be achieved.
Ratio (RTR). With Plant Balance RTR, it is possible to
visualise and monitor the assimilates balance and to see
when and why the realized RTR deviates from the desired
strategy. The ultimate goal is to have a balanced plant
because this results in optimal production and quality and
increases plant health and resilience.
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Statistics
To observe ‘what’ and ‘why did it happen’ most of the
time it is enough to use graphs and dashboards in data
analysis. However, if important decisions are based on
the observed differences, then statistics should be used
to support decision making.
Regarding statistics, it is essential to be aware of some
basic concepts. One is the relationship between the effect
size, sample size, and significance criterion. A large effect
can be measured with a small sample size and vice versa.
Significance criterion is the threshold when experiments
differ significantly from each other.
By knowing all three components, the statistical power
of a test can be calculated. The statistical power is the
likelihood that a test detects an effect when there is
an effect to be detected. In a greenhouse with a large
population of plants, usually, only a small sample of the
population is measured for crop registrations.
It just takes too much time to assess, for instance, the
fruit set on every plant. As explained; lowering the sample
Conclusion
Data analysis in horticulture is more than just making
graphs in a spreadsheet. With data analysis, it all starts
with the process of data collection, storage, and cleaning.
A high-quality dataset creates many possibilities for data
analysis, like answering questions such as what happened
and why did it happen? Visualising data with data analysis
can be essential in finding the correct answers. When
combining data from multiple sources, tools such as a
dashboard, the climate monitor or Plant Balance RTR are
essential to present results in a clear way. Data-driven
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size will reduce the power of a statistical test which
makes it hard to detect differences, especially when the
differences are small. Therefore, it is important to be aware
of the effect of the sample size on the accuracy of your
crop registration values. Statistics are useful in finding
the right answers to questions such as “why something
happened”. However, working with statistics can be tricky.
Therefore, it is vital to be careful, for example regarding
the difference between correlation and causation. Making
a scatterplot of two variables may show that these
variables are strongly correlated. However, correlation
does not imply causation.
A well-known example is the high correlation between
the sales of ice creams and sunglasses. This does not
imply, however, that ice creams cause a higher sales of
sunglasses. The
underlying cause, in this case, is the amount of sunshine.
Understanding this difference is vital for drawing any
conclusions.
growing requires knowledge of data analysis. As a grower
or consultant, it is essential to get in contact with the right
parties that can help to make the transition to data-driven
growing.
Important selection criteria are having a central data
platform, knowledge of plants, practical experience in
horticulture, available tools and transparency regarding
privacy and data ownership. Only by using the right
platform it is possible to implement data-driven growing
in practice fully.
Epilogue
Hoogendoorn Growth Management creates sustainable
and user-friendly automation solutions for every kind of
horticultural business worldwide. It provides growers with
a complete solution to efficiently manage the greenhouse
climate, irrigation and energy usage, regardless of the
greenhouse structure, location and equipment.
The intelligent controls enable growing highquality crops
and achieve maximum crop yields with minimum use of
scarce resources such as water, energy and nutrients.
Growth, continuity and innovation are the focus. LetsGrow.
com has been operational since 2002. Together with
Wageningen University Horticultural Research, we have
developed models for forecasting crop yields.
However, the services of LetsGrow.com span horticulture
in its entirety: we support all popular brands of climate
computers. Our clients have 24/7 access to realtime data
all around the world. The fact that there are already 1000
greenhouse growers with a subscription to LetsGrow.
com is a testament to this. This includes both individual
companies as well as major growers associations. Both
Hoogendoorn and LetsGrow offer the possibility to collect
and to analyze cultivation related data.
Via an online platform, you can analyse data regarding
e.g. greenhouse climate, crop, labour and energy
consumptions. Graphs and dashboards can easily be
created to gain insight into the cultivation data. Also,
calculations upon real-time data can be performed to
deliver even more insight. This way, data is turned into
meaningful information.
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