ABSTRACT
The purpose of this last chapter is to discuss developments, open issues, and perspectives for greenhouse cultivation control. The development of control methodology cannot be detached from the developments in the industry as a whole. Therefore, we start with a brief overview of some recent developments in the greenhouse industry, without having the pretension to be complete. We then try to abstract the requirements that most likely will be posed to the control systems to come. Control system designers will face a number of challenges to meet the demands of future greenhouse systems. We argue that the framework of optimal control theory as elucidated in this book is versatile and generic enough to meet these challenges. However, despite its favorable features, real application is still very limited. We try to explore possible reasons why this might be the case. We distinguish between issues regarding the methodology itself and the human factor as elements of reluctant acceptance in the market. We then discuss for both categories remedies and potential solutions. This is a fantastic playing eld for researchers and practitioners alike, and we hope to offer a stimulus to the scientic community and the industry for continued work and progress in this exciting eld.
