Effect of 5G on behaviour of greenhouse bumblebees studied

Using 5G mobile communication technology in a controlled work environment such as a tomato greenhouse is relatively new. While previous research has examined the effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on flora and fauna at frequencies used in legacy (2G-4G) networks, the higher frequencies introduced in 5G (such as the 3.5-GHz band) raise new issues. Small organisms, including plants and pollinators like bumblebees, may be more sensitive to these frequencies. This project investigates whether a private 5G network in a tomato greenhouse has an effect on plant growth and pollinator behaviour within the greenhouse ecosystem.

Objective

Within The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Smart Sensor Systems (SSS) Research Group is working on several projects dedicated to future greenhouse horticulture, including optimization of wireless connectivity. For this project, they deployed their 5G EMF sensors, developed in the EU Horizon NextGEM project, to continuously measure the strength of the EMFs emitted by the base station antennas of Tomatoworld’s private 5G network. By comparing these measurements, collected over multiple growing seasons, to sensor data on plant growth and pollinator behaviour, potential effects of 5G (operating at ~3.8 GHz) on the greenhouse ecosystem can be studied.        

Combining data for insights

The EMF measurement data are linked with behavioural data on bumblebees – key pollinators within the greenhouse ecosystem. Their behaviour is monitored using three complementary techniques:

• Counters at the entrances/exits of bumblebee hives
• Microphones near flowering tomato plants
• Cameras tracking flight behaviour

Analysis and impact

All data collected – from EMF levels to bumblebee behaviour and plant growth (collected by Tomatoworld sensors) – are analysed to determine the effects of the 5G network on the greenhouse ecosystem. These findings may indicate the need to adapt the wireless infrastructure to the benefits of the ecosystem and, together with measurements of the quality of the 5G signal at different stages of plant growth may lead to insights into what an optimal infrastructure for wireless communication in greenhouses might look like.

Three phases of implementation

The project is being implemented in three successive phases, combining technology, ecology, and knowledge exchange:

1. Installation and integration of EMF sensors at strategic locations in the greenhouse (covering areas with both high and low EMF levels)
2. Development and application of bumblebee behaviour monitoring techniques
3. Publication and dissemination of results through an open-access scientific journal

Through this project, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and partners combine their in connectivity, plant cultivation, and ecological behaviour. The results will contribute to more sustainable and technologically advanced greenhouse farming.

Intended duration of the project

September 2024 – December 2025

Team 

Research group Smart Sensor Systems, 
Associate lecturer dr. Sam Aerts, [email protected] 

Collaboration partners 

Education and research: Do IoT Fieldlab, TU Delft, RoboHouse
Practice and technology: Tomatoworld, Koppert, TNO, MC