Soon, image recognition algorithms and laser scanners will tell the grower which fruit trees need attention. Measures will then only be taken where needed. That is precision fruit cultivation in a nutshell.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. If you drive past an orchard in the Netherlands, you will pass fruit trees with mechanical regularity. Those neat rows seem to have been designed by computer, but the management of Dutch orchards is set to become even more digitised in the future. Fruit growers will soon be taking decisions about each individual tree on their land based on smart data. Which tree has rather a lot of blossom? Which one isn’t growing very well? And how big will the harvest be?
While more and more machines are already being used in horticulture, for example in harvesting and pruning, the next step is innovation in managing the orchard. To achieve that goal, scientists are joining forces with growers and tech companies to implement new practices embedded in data. This latest development in horticulture is called ‘precision fruit cultivation’.