Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are increasingly important in global agriculture due to their extensive use in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, where their value is largely determined by biomass yield and the concentration of bioactive secondary metabolites. However, the production of MAPs under open-field conditions is often constrained by environmental variability, leading to inconsistent yield and phytochemical composition. In this context, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), particularly smart greenhouse technologies (SGTs), has emerged as a promising approach to enhance production efficiency and product quality. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent advances in smart greenhouse technologies and their applications in MAP cultivation. It examines the role of key technological components, including Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring systems, automated irrigation and fertigation, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)–driven decision support systems, and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technologies. These innovations enable real-time monitoring and precise control of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, CO2 concentration, and nutrient availability, thereby optimizing plant growth conditions and metabolic processes. The findings indicate that SGTs significantly improve biomass yield, resource-use efficiency, and phytochemical consistency in MAPs. Controlled environmental manipulation enhances the biosynthesis of valuable secondary metabolites, including essential oils, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, while reducing variability in product quality. Case studies on economically important species such as basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) demonstrate that the integration of advanced lighting systems, sensor-based irrigation, and AI-driven management can substantially increase both yield and bioactive compound accumulation. Despite these advantages, several challenges remain, including high initial investment costs, energy consumption, complex data management requirements, and the need for technical expertise. Additionally, current research is still limited in fully elucidating the complex interactions between environmental factors and secondary metabolite biosynthesis under smart greenhouse conditions. Future perspectives highlight the increasing role of AI, robotics, digital agriculture platforms, and renewable energy integration in advancing smart greenhouse systems toward more autonomous, efficient, and sustainable production models. Further interdisciplinary research is needed to optimize species-specific cultivation strategies and improve the economic feasibility of these technologies. In conclusion, smart greenhouse technologies offer substantial potential to transform MAP cultivation by enhancing productivity, quality, and sustainability, thereby supporting the growing global demand for high-value plant-derived bioactive compounds.
Türkmen et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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