▲ Ereis / CEO Lim Chang-mok

A smart farm is an automated farm controled by Information and Communications Technology and Internet of Things. The Netherlands is a good example of smart farm where 80% of tomatoes and paprika are produced from smart farm technology. The Dutches developed smart control systems by using the most of their accumulated data which are being resulted in increased productivity and efficiency. 

Often cited as a global IT powerhouse, South Korea is shamefully lacking in big data and software to run advanced smart farm systems. Lack of data means inability in productivity, efficiency and convenience. Good news, however, is that a South Korean smart farm company Ereis is finally introducing advanced smart farm solutions to Korean farmers.

Importance of bid data

For a plant to grow, we need to focus on stems and roots. Roots in particular are the growth engine of the plant and is affected by the soil, farming method and environment. In order to grow a plant by using smart farm technology, the farmer must secure data on the kind of the plant and environmental and dynamic relations with the roots. 

For many years, smart farm advanced countries have built this data and developed physiological measurers accordingly while South Korea has neglected importance of software but pursued hardware-convenience. So Ereis rolled up sleeves and succeeded development of 'root culture medium moisture content measurers'.

RMFarm, FarmingON, FarmingON 2

The measurers for growth and development of plants in South Korea are all imported. So Ereis focused on localization of measurers and introduced RMFarm, FarmingON and FarmingON 2 that are specialized in data for roots.

These measurers measure in real time the weight of the soil, amount of moisture as well as temperature, humidity, EC, PH and culture medium. Accordingly, it adjusts amount of fertilizer and minimizes error in growth and development of plants. 

If RMFarm is designed for tomatoes and paprika, FarmingON is a remote control system that measures temperature, moisture, CO2 and send the data to the Ereis cloud server through M2M IoT 3G modem. 

Farmers conveniently download the app on their smart phone and check the data in real time. Farmers also can set up level of temperature, moisture, etc, as any abnormality alarms the farmer. All data received from the farms are saved in the Ereis server which then used for new research and development. 

"Collecting data and scientific analysis is the core of smart farm system like many other smart industries. It increases productivity, efficiency and convenience. The more data we gather the more precise we farm" says Lim Chang-mok, CEO of Ereis.

Last but not least, FarmingON 2 is designed for small farms which are majority in South Korea. FarmingON 2 lets farmers see status of the roots and growth environment of plants at once. It is especially useful to grow strawberries. Like RMFarm and FarmingON, it measures necessary things from temperature to moisture but uses a probe instead of weighting. The temperature error rate is only around 0.4 or 0.5. 

Application

Ereis's accumulated data, R&D and algorithm can be applied to a variety of areas. KT, for example, is using data of Ereis to bring up better and more effective smart farm technologies. CEO Lim explains in confidence that the existing hardware-driven smart farm tech in South Korea will be turning into software-driven control point and Ereis is in the center of this shift.

A good example is Ereis 'watering solution' loaded with cutting edge algorithm which controls time, section, amount, weight of culture medium, and scope of EC, pH and EC. This all-in-one watering solution has everything that a smart farm needs. 

Lim Chang-mok

Lim used to be an IT engineer who were inspired by advanced smart farm systems in the Netherlands. 

Setting up his own smart farm business back home, he now has obtained six patents relating to smart farm and received a ministerial prize from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for his contribution to bringing advanced smart farm technology to South Korea.