Will AI Replace the Need for a Horticulture Consultant?

Today, anyone can ask AI questions such as:

• What PPFD should I use to grow strawberries indoors?

• Which spectrum should I use?

• How many hours of light are required?

• What DLI should I target?

• What happens if the temperature changes?

Recently, I've noticed that many customers approach us with detailed technical requirements for strawberry cultivation, tissue culture, speed breeding and even balcony gardening.

Recently, we received an inquiry for a speed breeding lighting system. The customer shared a detailed technical sheet covering spectrum percentages for different plant growth stages, light intensity, photoperiod, PPE, wattage, IP ratings and even data logging requirements. He had generated the sheet using ChatGPT.

These details made our discussions more technical and productive. After a few discussions, we developed a suitable solution.

However, it also presented a challenge. The customer had specific expectations, and suggesting an alternative solution that could better meet the actual requirements took considerable time and technical discussion.

This raises an interesting question:

Can AI become a reliable horticulture consultant, or will plant science always require human expertise?

I believe AI has the potential to become a valuable horticulture consultant, provided it is trained using real-world trial data, proven spectra, product performance and practical horticulture expertise.

Imagine an AI consultant that can recommend suitable lights, calculate their quantity and suggest growing conditions for specific applications.

It will be interesting to see how AI and human expertise can work together to help growers achieve better results.

What are your thoughts?

#AI #Horticulture #SpeedBreeding #GrowLights #PlantScience