How Technology Can Connect the Dots Between Problem and Solution
July 11, 2026 Greenhouse technology has been a big theme of the latest Greenhouse Grower® Magazine issue. But in this case, it’s not about the latest new products. It’s about when and why to invest in new technology, what the return on that investment should look like, and where technology can truly fill a need rather than simply serve as a new toy.
Iowa State University’s Chris Currey sums it up well when he says, “Size does not matter when it comes to adopting automation. Regardless of what scale you are growing on, there are ways to improve consistency and crop quality while reducing labor needs.”
In keeping with the spirit of Chris’s comments, I wanted to share a few observations about how to think about technology as you end this growing season and prepare for the next.
Technology adoption should start with your biggest pain points. When we surveyed members of the National Greenhouse Manufacturers Association (NGMA) this spring, we asked about the biggest challenges growers bring up in their conversations. For the most part, those concerns center on uncertainty around labor availability, fuel and other input costs, and the broader economy and how it affects consumer spending on flowers and gardening.
In response, many of these companies say they are focusing on automation, irrigation, environmental controls, and energy management systems that help reduce labor and operating costs while improving efficiency.
Growers and suppliers need to work together to close the gap between design and real-world application. It’s too easy to evaluate new automation tools based on how they might work in an ideal environment, but that doesn’t always account for variability in climate, labor, crop mix, or long-term wear.
This can lead to inefficiencies once the system is in use, or as one NGMA member put it, a gap between “theoretical performance and operational reality.” They went on to say, “We focus on closing that gap by emphasizing practical performance, durability, and application-specific solutions, rather than just design specifications.”
Even for the largest operations, there is still plenty of room for growth. When we asked growers in our Top 100 survey earlier this year about the technology they believe still needs to be developed for this industry, they mentioned everything from AI solutions and predictive analytics to robotic tools for plant moving and sorting.
What’s the common thread? Each of these opportunities depends on stronger communication between growers and product manufacturers. Suppliers are increasingly taking a consultative approach, working closely with growers to recommend the right solutions for their specific climate, crop mix, labor situation, and application, rather than developing new technology in a vacuum.
Expanding that communication could also lead to more early adoption. No one, or perhaps almost no one, wants to be the first to try something new. But when the problem is clear, the solution is practical, and the support is there, early adopters can help show the rest of the industry what is possible.
Technology alone will not solve every challenge facing greenhouse growers. But when it connects directly to a real operational need, it can help growers reduce friction, improve consistency, and move from problem to solution with greater confidence.
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