The Next-Generation Facility Horticultural Agriculture
ProjectsLed by IoP (Internet of Plants)
About the project
Japan's Kochi Prefecture's “Facility Horticultural Agriculture” is dramatically evolving!
In the field of facility horticulture where Kochi Prefecture has a leading-advantage, the “next-generation facility horticultural system” that incorporates the latest technology from the Netherlands will be used to proliferate among farmers, a “next-generation style” facility horticulture that applies the latest facility horticulture-related equipment and IoT / AI technology. This project aims to strengthen Kochi's facility horticulture brand and increase farmers' income.
With the industry-academia-government cooperation council for next-generation horticultural agriculture in Kochi Prefecture as the main body, the technical group will promote a project to solve IoP research issues such as the “production system/efficiency," "high value-added," distribution system/integrated management."
* IoP stands for the Internet of Plants.
We measure plant growth information (photosynthesis, crop growth), yield, harvest time, agricultural work, and other information in addition to environmental weather information at the production sites of facility horticulture to make plant information "visible."
About the initiatives
Research
To utilize the IoP project system on-site, a mechanism is required to accumulate and visualize plant physiology and growth data, and optimize and share for use by farmers. To realize the system, the IoP project research promotion subcommittee will play a leading role and will conduct research and development with a project team for each issue and research theme.
Production system/gaining efficiencies
Based on the concept of IoP, our mission is to visualize physiological and ecological information of crops, research and develop production systems and efficient technologies that can serve as the core for next-generation facility horticulture and link those results to social implementation.
Through the use of big data external and internal to the facilities, we will develop new cultivation management methods that take photosynthetic properties into account and efficient and energy-saving techniques that make full use of AI/ICT/IoT technologies. At the same time, we will develop new pest control technologies based on immunological and ecological perspectives, and establish sustainable horticultural agriculture that aims to achieve both environmental conservation and added value creation.
High value-added
We aim to add value to agricultural products that align with the needs of the general consumers and the changes under various circumstances impacting the food industry to enable the production and sale of widely desired agricultural products. We will always establish a system that can offer quality, traceability, and application of proposals, and conduct research attributable to marketing that increases the demand for each agricultural product. Quality is managed through precision analysis using advanced equipment for nutrients, taste, and functional ingredients. These measurements can be obtained even through simple measurement methods at the production site. Further, we conduct research to build a system that can refer to the measured values in various places, such as distribution, wholesale, and sales.
Distribution system and integration issues
This project aims to forecast shipments, optimize commercial and logistical processes, achieve advanced traceability, and collect and integrate horticulture data. Specifically, as R&D is conducted on various systems from production to distribution and consumption, the objective is to build an “IoP Cloud” based data-sharing platform for collection and analysis of various data from production to distribution and providing feedback in the form of useful information to producers.
Development of Human Resources
Develop human resources for facility horticulture and agrifood business
Even with the progress of IoP research, to effectively implement the research results in the field, human resources who can understand and utilize the results are required. In Kochi Prefecture, where the facility horticulture industry is thriving, opportunities for learning are created through student education and adult education, and professional human resources are fostered to support the next-generation facility horticulture measures in Kochi Prefecture using IoP and AI.
Student education (Scheduled to start in April 2020)
With the cooperation of Kochi University, Kochi University of Technology, and Kochi Prefectural University, the master's program will build an IoP collaboration program (a special program for graduate schools), specializing in the learning of IoP related universities (agriculture, informatics, health and nutrition). In the bachelor's program, common educational subjects are established for the learning of the basics of each specialty area, as well as production techniques and theories through field visits and work experiences.
Adult education (starting in 2019)
The three types of courses will provide an easy-to-understand methods to understand the basics of plant living mechanisms and plant physiology, as well as the basics of Tosa's facility vegetable cultivation and environmental control technologies.
Tosa FBC-S Course
To enhance R&D human resources who can foster a competitive advantage to the food industry in Kochi Prefecture, we will strengthen R&D capabilities and create high value-added businesses. Within two years, a business strategy will be formulated, and R&D will be pursued under R&D plans and individual guidance.
About Public Relations
International symposium
Through the understanding and sharing of research contents and results with related organizations involved in the promotion of agriculture and industry in Kochi Prefecture, the latest information on IoP projects will be transmitted from Kochi Prefecture to the world. Lecturers working on advanced research are invited to hold symposiums where lectures and panel discussions are held.
Next-generation horticulture agriculture fair
This fair widely promotes the latest facilities and horticulture-related equipment, IoT / AI technology, etc. to the people involved in agriculture aiming to realize "Next-generation horticulture agriculture." We will inform about a wide range of initiatives aimed at realizing “Next-generation greenhouse horticulture” by incorporating public relations of the individual universities working on the latest research and initiatives as an opportunity to develop products through matching etc. and getting in contact with foreign business.
Information exchange matching meetings
To solve various issues regarding agricultural production sites and accelerate the social implementation of the results of IoP project research, we are promoting the development of new equipment and systems in cooperation with companies participating in this project through matching meetings and aiming to create and bring together related industries.
Vision towards the achievement of project goals
We will establish the IoP Promotion Organization (tentative name) to disseminate the research results of the project to farmers quickly, introduce the IoP and support farming, manage the centralized information on facility horticulture, and aim for the development of the project.
- - Construction and operation of the IoP cloud
- - Publication guidance
- - Development of equipment and systems related to facility horticulture