Page 20 - MNLGA Free State Summer 2024_WEB

TOTAL PLANT MANAGEMENT A Stanton Gill

Where Do We Go

from Here?

he University of Maryland Extension, MNLGA and As many of you are aware, the utility companies are not
University of Delaware Extension held a terrific keeping up with the increasing demands of electric supply
TTech Day at Ruppert Nursery on June 20th. Nursery systems. Instead of wringing your hands and fretting over
owners had the opportunity to explore new technology this oncoming situation, try looking at the possibilities you
innovations at each field station including several electric can explore instead. For example, installing a solar system
and lithium batteries, and landscape and nursery devices to produce electric power for your nursery, greenhouse or
that are much quieter and more efficient than old- landscape company is a wise business plan and smart
fashion two-cycle equipment. Participants also had the forward-thinking solution.
opportunity to interact with researchers and companies I started installing a solar system on our orchard back
leading the charge into cost-saving devices that help in 2010 and have been adding to it ever since. We now
nurseries operate more efficiently.
produce slightly more electricity than we use for our
Participants saw land drones in action spraying the fields, irrigation equipment, to charge electric equipment and to
eliminating unnecessary worker exposure to chemicals. constantly run a cooler at 34˚ F. The savings, as a result
Participants also observed flying drones that inventoried of reduced electric bills and the SREC (clean energy cash
nursery plants and drones that use AI technology to credits you can apply for), make this easy to recoup the
locate weeds, hover over them, and treat the infested expense of installing a solar system in a relatively short
areas. Lastly, participants saw LiDar equipment that can amount of time.
be hooked to nursery carts and driven through nursery
rows for inventory counts.
Participants were able to look at self-driven electric nursery
carts that can be programed to recognize your nursery
rows and that will navigate the rows autonomously
once the owner maps the area using Google Maps. One
company is working on a self-driving mower that will mow
between nursery rows by following an electronic mapping
system. This organization plans to put this mower on the
market by 2025.

This brings us to our “Where Do We Go from Here”
question. Since much of the newer equipment will rely
on portable electric power sources that will need to be
charged with electricity, we will need to figure out how
to afford increasingly expensive electric supply sources.
Kilowatt costs are on the rise due to increasing demand
for this type of equipment.

20 SUMMER 2024 • Free State News