According to officials, two farmhouses in the city were equipped with a smart environmental maintenance system, capable of maintaining a specific internal temperature, and improving airflow and ventilation. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
CHUNGJU, South Korea, April 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, is making optimistic progress with its smart farm initiatives.
The city launched the project in 2015 by equipping a laboratory at the local Agricultural Technology Center with ubiquitous information technology (u-IT).
The horticulture lab, used mainly for plant research and production, can monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, insolation levels and wind speed with various sensors, all of which can be remotely controlled. The center also operates greenhouses for plants and fruits, like melons and cherry tomatoes, equipped with the technology.
In addition, Chungju has been transferring its technology to the local agriculture and livestock sectors.
According to officials, two farmhouses in the city were equipped with a smart environmental maintenance system, capable of maintaining a specific internal temperature, and improving airflow and ventilation. The farms managed to boost their production by 17 percent with the new technology.
Other farms that benefitted from the city’s initiatives experienced similar results. For instance, a local pig farm that installed a heat recovery ventilation system, which can either be remotely or autonomously controlled, significantly reduced its energy consumption, officials said.
With the promising results at hand, Chungju plans to build larger-scale smart farms in the city, and establish a main control center that will network with the farmers. It will also come up with a more effective smartphone application for controlling the systems.
“The agricultural industry is no exception to the fourth industrial revolution,” a city official said. “We’ll continue to equip our farms with information and communications technologies.”
Earlier this year, Chungju’s farmers’ college established a “smart farm protected horticulture” curriculum, in which some 50 students are currently studying the latest technological trends of smart farming.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
