Future of smart greenhouses in Almería: Farmers' perspectives and fuzzy logic-based evaluation

The adoption of automation technologies in intensive greenhouse agriculture is a key challenge for achievinggreater efficiency and sustainability. This study explores the perceptions of farmers in Almería (Spain), Europe’smost prominent greenhouse region, regarding automation and robotics, identifying the main socioeconomic andtechnical barriers to implementation. A structured survey was conducted among greenhouse operators, and thedata were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression to examine correlations betweenautomation levels and farmer characteristics. From this, a fuzzy logic decision-support system was developed toevaluate the feasibility of different automation technologies, based on three key factors: implementation cost,perceived safety risk, and expected efficiency. The model was applied to five real-world configurations, rangingfrom simple mechanized tools to advanced robotic systems. Results show that semi-automated, low-cost solutionswith minimal risk are more likely to be adopted than high-end technologies, even when the latter offer greaterfunctional capabilities. The study demonstrates the value of combining technical assessment with local knowl-edge to identify realistic and scalable pathways for agricultural innovation in greenhouse system