This case study features a grower using Quantified Sensor Technology, distributed in North America by Biome Delta.
Grower: Bosch Growers
Crops: Bell peppers, blackberries, strawberries
Locations: Netherlands and United States
Technology: Wireless substrate and fertigation sensing
Bosch Growers operates bell pepper and soft fruit production across multiple locations. For Erwin de Bruijn, Cultivation Manager, the ability to make confident, timely decisions in the greenhouse depends on one thing above all else: reliable data.
At Bosch Growers, cultivation is anchored by a Priva climate computer. But Erwin has found that the climate computer alone leaves gaps in what he can see and act on. Wireless sensing from Quantified fills those gaps.
"With this technology, I can see things that I cannot see with the climate computer alone."
Wireless sensors at Bosch Growers serve as a practical second layer of visibility. They validate climate computer readings, cross-check conditions across different greenhouse zones, and capture granular substrate and fertigation data that the climate computer simply isn't designed to provide.
Erwin checks the system four to five times per day from his mobile phone. After more than two years of daily use, it has become a standard part of how the operation runs. Not a diagnostic tool pulled out when something goes wrong, but a continuous window into what's happening at the root zone and in the irrigation system.
The clearest example of how Bosch Growers approaches data visibility came with a recent project: refurbishing an existing greenhouse to propagate blackberry plants in-house for the first time.
Before a single plant arrived, sensors were already installed.
The facility is a rented, low-tech greenhouse in Bleiswijk, NL. Blackberry propagation doesn't require high-precision climate control, but irrigation management and root development are critical during the propagation phase. Bosch Growers wanted continuous insight into substrate conditions and fertigation performance from the very first day of operation.
"We rent a low-tech greenhouse where we made a few small adjustments to the irrigation system to meet our requirements. Blackberry propagation is normally done mainly outdoors, so the greenhouse does not need to meet extremely strict requirements to produce healthy blackberry plants."
Sensors were deployed to monitor irrigation drain volume and EC (DripperLab), EC and drain percentage (Smart Gutter), and slab moisture and EC (Poseidon). Together, these data streams gave the team a clear, continuous picture of fertigation performance, drainage behavior, and root-zone conditions throughout the propagation cycle.
The decision to instrument a low-tech rented facility speaks to a broader principle at Bosch Growers. Data visibility isn't reserved for high-spec production environments. It's a baseline requirement wherever crop decisions need to be made.
For Erwin and the team at Bosch Growers, wireless sensing has become part of the infrastructure of daily cultivation. It sits alongside the climate computer, not in place of it, making existing systems more useful and giving growers a more complete picture of what's happening in the crop.
When asked to describe the technology in a few words, Erwin's answer was straightforward:
"Helpful. Reliable. Insightful."
Interested in wireless sensing infrastructure for your greenhouse? Get in touch with Biome Delta.