(We originally posted this in 2020. You can read more of our original ideas in our archive.)
Problem: Detecting defects in vegetables and fruits is sometimes difficult. One such defect, which can ruin a whole back of fruits if not detected early, is strawberry albinism.
Solution: A company that develops and installs computer vision software for greenhouses to monitor their plants and crops. The business would also develop ways to monitor the soil, humidity, and other factors around the plants in order to truly understand the factors that can lead to diseases in plants. Below is a short summary of a study on what causes Strawberry Albinism and the causes of it (emphasis mine).
Albinism is a serious disorder of strawberry in which fruits appear bloated, develop poor color flavor and become susceptible to fruit rot during storage. Many factors have been reported to be associated with albinism, but vigorous vegetative growth of the plant is considered as the primary factor. Strawberry is one of the most delicate fruit, which is grown commercially in temperate climatic conditions of the world. For its successful cultivation, mulching is considered as most useful cultural practice. Mulching helps in better conservation and utilization of hydrothermal regimes, which helps in better growth and yield. Three mulch materials (Black polyethylene, White polyethylene, and Paddy Straw) were evaluated to reduce albinism in five cultivars of strawberry. Fruits suffering from albinism appear bloated, develop poor colour, are liable to serve damage during harvesting and become highly susceptible to fruit rot during storage. The incidence of albinism was highest (38.60%) with black polyethylene and lowest with paddy straw (22.65%). Among cultivars, Erna had the highest incidence of albinism (50.60%) followed by chandler (41.60%), where as Sweet Charlie had the least
By combining a variety of sensors (soil, air, humidity, vision of the plants, etc.) in a centralized database farmers can reduce the probability of collecting rotten food and produce more (or less, but better) crops for the public.
There are already some companies that do Greenhouse monitoring or develop IoT sensors, and many website that describe how to do it. Overall, the Smart Greenhouse Market is expected to exceed more than US$ 2 Billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 13% in the given forecast period. As described by MarketWatch,
Smart greenhouse is idea of greenhouse that cultivates crops while not human intervention. Crops in an exceedingly sensible greenhouse grow while not adjustment of climate or any human interference by any means that for a specific amount. The sensible greenhouse uses varied microprocessors and sensors to perform functions like dominant temperature and irrigation system. Any sort of plant, fruit, and vegetables are often fully grown at any time of year in sensible greenhouse. this method is value effective and improves potency of greenhouses. The need for smart farming and trend of top farming fuel the expansion of the planet smart greenhouse market. However, high value of sensible greenhouses is restraining the expansion of the market. On the opposite hand, emergence of vertical farming in urban areas is making opportunities within the market.
Building a business that supplements this growing market could quickly win a monopoly and create a unicorn company.
Monetization: Selling sensors or an all-in-one greenhouse monitoring software system.
Contributed by: Michael Bervell (Billion Dollar Startup Ideas)