More specifically, if a plant appears to need more nutrients, the system can send that plant to the corresponding section of the greenhouse.
RFID thus enables full automation and optimization of the growing process, thereby saving growers unprecedented resources in the production of this high-value asset.
WPS estimates the average per-pot flower value to be €5, and there are currently at least three million tags in use among WPS customers.
The Dutch potted plant business is by far the largest and most advanced in the world. Holland has approximately 1500 potted plant growers who command approximately 1000 hectares of greenhouse space.
“The main selling point of the RFID system is its 100 percent reliability and its diversity,” said Richard van der Meijs, sales manager for WPS.
“It is vital for florists to know what they have in stock. They have to be able to make thousands of sorting operations in a very short time. The delivery process is extremely delicate, and the quality must meet the highest standards.”
TAGSYS uses the 10-TL tag and the Medio L100 reader on the project. The tag fits snugly into the pot-adapter, which is a casing for the actual pot. The pots are then fed into a machine and filled with soil and a seedling.
They are transferred to trays and kept at constant temperature for 30 weeks. During this time, a ceiling-mounted irrigation system sprays each plant with fertilized water.
Trays then undergo at least two more room changes, where they experience temperature/humidity shifts and regular flooding. Finally a sorting system routes plants into groups for individual customers; machines remove the RFID tags and recycle them for new plants.
“Thanks to TAGSYS technology, we were able to open sales to a completely new market,” said Bennie Cuijpers, RFID project manager of Zetes.
“The 13.56 MHz 10-TL tag is low in cost and highly reliable despite harsh environmental conditions and multi reader dense antenna environments.”
marketing@alchempro.com
