SPoHF

Despite being well established, fruit and vegetable cultivation in the German-Dutch border region uses a lot of energy and resources. Important quality and environmental parameters have not yet been recorded efficiently or holistically, which means that optimisation potential remains untapped and the production processes are ecologically and economically unsustainable. These deficits emphasise the need for new, data-based and resource-conserving approaches, such as those to be developed in the SPoHF project.

The SPoHF project aims to optimise fruit and vegetable cultivation using digital twins and advanced sensor technologies.

The main objectives are:

1. Precise monitoring and simulation of plant conditions to optimise growth and health.

2. Increase resource efficiency, in particular by:

   • Reducing energy consumption (e.g. through AI-controlled LED management)

   • Precise dosing of fertilisers and pesticides

3. Ensuring food quality and promoting a healthier diet.

4. Supporting a sustainable, resource-efficient circular economy by reducing environmental impact.

The SPoHF project is divided into several work packages aimed at developing software-intensive solutions for fruit and vegetable cultivation. The aim is to increase productivity, resource efficiency and food quality.

Work packages 1 to 6 cover the entire process from technology development to practical application. They include the construction and integration of sensor systems, including measuring stations for microclimate, soil parameters and plant conditions, as well as the development of digital twins of individual plants for precise monitoring and simulation.

In work package 7, analytical studies will be used to evaluate the extent to which food quality and nutrient composition are influenced by the measures to improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental pollution. In addition, plant physiological parameters for controlling the cultivation processes and for developing digital twins will be determined and made available.