ForFarming > Case Studies > PurpleLeaf Enhances Indoor Farming Efficiency with Farmio IoT Solution

PurpleLeaf Enhances Indoor Farming Efficiency with Farmio IoT Solution

Technology Category

Sensors - Environmental Sensors
Sensors - Optical Sensors

Applicable Industries

Agriculture
Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Facility Management

Use Cases

Farm Monitoring & Precision Farming
Smart Irrigation

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

PurpleLeaf is a family-run indoor farming business operating in a 96 m2 facility. The facility houses 16 flood & drain type grow towers, each having 4 levels of 2 m2 trays. PurpleLeaf has the necessary LED lights, irrigation pipes, and timers for each production unit. They control irrigation via timers and have an automation system for timers and nutrient dosing to the irrigation tank. For climate control, they use a temperature-humidity sensor. Despite having these systems in place, they were struggling with yield loss due to the lack of integration between the systems and the inability to monitor and control all systems remotely.

The Challenge

PurpleLeaf, a family-run indoor farming business, was grappling with the challenge of managing various systems such as irrigation, fertigation, lighting, and climate control in their 96 m2 facility. The lack of integration between these systems was causing significant yield loss. The existing automation system for timers and nutrient dosing to the irrigation tank was not sufficient. The inability to remotely monitor and control all systems was a major concern. The lack of understanding of how each device impacts others in the system was another issue. The result was a decrease in yield due to system malfunctions, with a loss of 27 percent of their potential harvest in the previous year due to excessive irrigation and humidity. PurpleLeaf needed a data-driven platform that could integrate all devices and provide real-time system status.

The Solution

PurpleLeaf adopted Farmio, a cloud-based, IoT-enabled software that automates monitoring and control systems for indoor farming. The software was easily integrated into PurpleLeaf's existing system, enabling remote scheduling of the lighting system. The air conditioners and dehumidifiers were connected to temperature-humidity sensors and automated to maintain the desired climate. The irrigation and nutrient dosing systems were integrated into the Farmio interface for control. Farmio records all measurements for irrigation, fertigation, lighting, and climate, visualizing the data on a single platform. The software also sends instant notifications to PurpleLeaf about significant developments at their farm, enabling them to monitor changes in environmental conditions and the status of their devices.

Operational Impact

With the implementation of Farmio, PurpleLeaf has gained the ability to monitor their facility’s data history and understand the impact of changes they make. They can now see how each piece of equipment impacts the environment and other devices. This has enabled them to compare the factors that affect production and adjust their system according to data. As a result, both the quantity and quality of their harvest have significantly improved. The ability to receive instant notifications about important developments at their farm has also enhanced their ability to respond to changes in environmental conditions or device status.

Quantitative Benefit

PurpleLeaf's harvest has reached an optimum level with almost 0 loss.
Previously, PurpleLeaf had lost 27 percent of their potential harvest due to system malfunctions.