Fertigation
Prepares and corrects the nutrient solution for the crop stage, dosing stock solutions and pH adjusters.
- Controls
- EC, pH, dosing
Controlled environment agriculture
The greenhouse that decides and acts on its own.
Neura GrowTech develops NEX, a hardware and software system for greenhouses, soilless growing and vertical farms. NEX watches the crop, recognises the species and growth stage, and adjusts nutrition, irrigation and climate on its own, in real time.
Born from research at DISTAL, University of BolognaNEX · Greenhouse 2 · Bench Brunning
Perception
- Crop
- Basil · 3rd true leaf
- Solution EC
- 1.42 mS/cm
- pH
- 6.3
- VPD
- 1.12 kPa
Decision
Late vegetative stage: target EC 1.8 mS/cm, pH 5.8–6.0. VPD above threshold, raise humidity.
Action
- NEX-F
- Stock A+B · 14 mL
- NEX-F
- Acid · 3 mL
- NEX-C
- Misting · 40 s
Example values for illustration
The problem
The data is there. What is missing is turning it into action.
Fertigation, irrigation and climate are still largely managed by experience, or with systems that stop at monitoring. Decision support software makes suggestions, but someone still has to act by hand.
With fertiliser and energy costs rising and fewer skilled staff available, every late correction costs yield and margin.
~70%of global freshwater withdrawals go to agriculture.FAO, 2023
>20%expected annual growth for controlled environment agriculture: high-tech greenhouses, soilless systems and vertical farms.CAGR · Grand View Research, 2024
Every hourthe parameters of a soilless crop change. A system that only records them leaves the correction to a person.
How it works
A closed loop that runs on its own.
NEX combines observation, analysis and control in a single system. The cycle repeats continuously and adapts to what the plant needs at that moment.
Perception
Cameras and sensors continuously measure the state of the crop, the nutrient solution and the air.
- images
- EC
- pH
- temperature
- humidity
Decision
The cognitive core recognises species and phenological stage and works out the right strategy, like a tailored agronomic diagnosis.
- computer vision
- machine learning
- agronomic models
Action
NEX directly drives pumps, valves and climate equipment. No manual step between the data and the intervention.
- dosing
- irrigation
- climate
↻ Then the cycle starts again, checking the effect of the intervention.
The platform
Three modules, one decision logic.
Start with the process that weighs most on your costs and add the other modules when you need them. They all share the same data and the same intelligence.
Irrigation
Decides when and how much to irrigate from the plants' actual demand, not a fixed timer.
- Controls
- cycles, volumes, drainage
Climate
Keeps the microclimate in the optimal window for the crop, acting on ventilation, humidification and temperature.
- Controls
- temperature, RH, VPD
It fits the system you already have.
NEX is designed for retrofit: it connects to existing infrastructure, without rebuilding the greenhouse or changing how you grow.
Results
What changes in the greenhouse.
−15–20%
in production inputs: water, fertiliser and energy.
up to +20%
productivity, with more stable yields from one cycle to the next.
>70%
fewer manual interventions in day-to-day management.
Estimates based on trials in operational environments. Results vary with crop and installation.
Who it is for
Serious growers, and researchers.
High-tech greenhouses, soilless systems and vertical farms
High-intensity growers, where every point of efficiency in nutrition, water and energy shows up at the end of the year. NEX cuts operating costs and the need for specialist staff on site at all times.
Universities and research centres
Standardised protocols, less operational variability between trials and high-quality structured data. Infrastructure for building repeatable experiments.
Where we are
A technology already validated in the field.
Technology readiness: TRL 6 of 9
researchprototype in real environmentmarket
- Working prototypes and lab validationMVP completed
- Trials in real operational environmentsincluding with industry partners
- Patent application filed with the Italian Patent Office (UIBM)system and method for autonomous management of crop processes
- Industrialisation and CE markingin progress
Trials
Every number comes from a trial in the greenhouse.
This is where we collect NEX trials and validations: where, on which crop, with which modules and with what measured results.
Autonomous management in a growth chamber
Soilless crop on benches under LED lighting, with NEX managing the nutrient solution and microclimate and recognising plant stage from images.
- Setting
- Controlled, soilless
- Modules
- NEX-F, NEX-C
- Status
- Completed
On-farm pilot projects
The first installations at growers and research centres. Each pilot project will get its own page here with measured results.
Put your greenhouse forward
Team
Agronomy, engineering and software in one team.
CEO
Matteo Landolfo
Research fellow at DISTAL. Strategy and coordination.
CTO
Fabio Perotti
PhD researcher. Technology development and decision models.
COO
Giuseppe Landolfo
Engineer with industrial experience. Operations and industrialisation.
Business
Alessandro Pistillo
Technician at DISTAL. Business development and customer relations.
Scientific advisors
Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto Prosdocimi and Giuseppina Pennisi, of the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences (DISTAL) at the University of Bologna, experts in crop physiology and innovative growing systems.
Pilot projects
Try NEX in your greenhouse.
We are selecting the first growers and research centres to install NEX with. Tell us what you grow and how your system is set up, and we will work out together which module to start with.
Pilot projects and commercial offersAlessandro Pistillo[email protected]
Strategy, partnerships and investorsMatteo Landolfo · CEO[email protected]
Technology, system integration and scientific collaborationsFabio Perotti · CTO[email protected]
Installations, supply and manufacturingGiuseppe Landolfo · COO[email protected]