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Elevaid and FAO Explore a Concept for GreenhouseOS Deployment

Elevaid and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have been exploring opportunities for cooperation around the practical deployment of digital tools in greenhouse production.

Elevaid and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have been exploring opportunities for cooperation around the practical deployment of digital tools in greenhouse production.

As part of this process, Elevaid has developed a preliminary pilot deployment project for GreenhouseOS. The project is currently being discussed with FAO, including its proposed design, participating greenhouses, implementation approach and potential contribution to more efficient and resilient greenhouse production.

The preliminary project is intended to create practical access to GreenhouseOS for smaller greenhouse growers while generating real-world evidence about how the system performs under local production conditions.

From initial discussions to a preliminary pilot project

The cooperation discussions have focused on a shared practical question: how can greenhouse growers gain meaningful access to digital and AI-enabled tools without having to replace all their existing equipment or invest in a completely new control infrastructure?

Greenhouse production requires the continuous management of several connected factors, including temperature, humidity, ventilation, irrigation, nutrients, crop condition, outside weather and equipment performance.

GreenhouseOS is being developed as an agronomic intelligence and control layer that can connect with compatible existing sensors, controllers and greenhouse equipment. It brings relevant information together to help growers monitor conditions, recognise potential risks and make more informed decisions.

The preliminary pilot project translates this approach into a structured field deployment that can be tested and improved in cooperation with participating growers.

A proposed deployment in working greenhouses

The current preliminary design envisages deploying GreenhouseOS in a small number of working greenhouses in Armenia.

Before installation, each prospective site would undergo a technical and operational assessment. This would examine the greenhouse structure, crop, available sensors, control equipment, irrigation system, connectivity and current management practices.

The assessment would help determine whether the greenhouse is technically suitable for the pilot, how GreenhouseOS should be configured and whether additional equipment is required.

The proposed pilot approach includes:

  • Selecting suitable greenhouse sites and participating growers
  • Assessing existing greenhouse infrastructure and equipment
  • Establishing a baseline for production and current management practices
  • Installing and configuring the required GreenhouseOS components
  • Connecting the platform with compatible existing sensors and controllers
  • Training growers and greenhouse workers to use the system
  • Supporting participating growers during an agreed operating period
  • Collecting feedback from growers, agronomists and technical staff
  • Monitoring data availability, system use and operational reliability
  • Documenting lessons and results from the pilot

These activities are part of the preliminary project design and may be adjusted through the ongoing discussions and technical preparation.

Combining technology with grower knowledge

The proposed pilot places growers at the centre of the deployment process.

Technology can provide continuous information about greenhouse conditions, but growers and greenhouse workers contribute knowledge that cannot always be captured by sensors alone. Their observations of plant growth, crop stress, pests, disease symptoms, fruit condition and daily operating challenges are essential to understanding what is happening inside the greenhouse.

The preliminary project therefore combines automated data collection with structured grower observations and feedback.

Participating growers would not simply receive installed equipment. They would be involved in testing how the system works, identifying which information is most useful and explaining where GreenhouseOS supports—or needs to better support—their daily work.

This feedback would help Elevaid refine the system’s interfaces, recommendations, alerts and integration approach.

Measuring practical value

An important purpose of the proposed pilot is to generate credible evidence about the practical application of GreenhouseOS.

The project would monitor whether the system operates reliably, whether growers use the information it provides and whether it supports clearer or more timely management decisions.

Where sufficiently reliable baseline and operational data are available, the pilot may also examine areas such as:

  • Greenhouse climate stability
  • Water use
  • Energy use
  • Fertiliser and crop-protection inputs
  • Production levels
  • Rejected or lost production
  • Significant crop-loss incidents
  • Grower engagement with the platform
  • System availability and data completeness

The project would not assume improvements in advance. Any changes would need to be measured carefully and considered alongside weather, crop cycles, grower decisions and other factors that influence production.

The aim is to understand where GreenhouseOS delivers practical value, where limitations remain and what should be improved before the approach is expanded.

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Interested in GreenhouseOS?

Elevaid is speaking with growers, technology providers and agricultural organisations interested in practical greenhouse digitalisation.