Projects
Demonstration of fruit scanning technology to Australian prune growers to improve their commercial viability.
The project aimed to enhance the commercial viability of prune growers through the adoption of advanced fruit scanning technology. The project involved six growers who tested the Green Atlas Cartographer technology to improve their decision-making processes related to fruit thinning and yield estimation.
Key activities included identifying blocks with high variability for testing, scanning these blocks using the Cartographer, and analysing the data to produce fruit distribution maps. These maps helped growers make informed decisions about tree shaking (fruit thinning) requirements. Two growers decided not to shake their trees based on the low fruit load indicated by the maps, while others used the data to achieve a more uniform fruit distribution through thinning.
The project also involved validation and quality assessment activities. Agronomists validated the benefits of balanced cropping, confirming that thinned trees produced larger, higher sugar content fruit. The quality assessment process will further evaluate the size and sugar levels of the dried fruit.
The project achieved several key outcomes, including increased efficiency for growers and processors. Growers benefited from more informed decision-making, leading to time and cost savings in thinning activities. The production of larger, higher quality fruit improved market access and profitability for both growers and processors. Additionally, the project demonstrated the potential for reduced harvesting and drying costs due to better-targeted thinning activities.
Overall, the project successfully highlighted the benefits of fruit scanning technology for prune growers, providing valuable insights into its practical application and potential to enhance commercial viability in the industry.
Key activities included identifying blocks with high variability for testing, scanning these blocks using the Cartographer, and analysing the data to produce fruit distribution maps. These maps helped growers make informed decisions about tree shaking (fruit thinning) requirements. Two growers decided not to shake their trees based on the low fruit load indicated by the maps, while others used the data to achieve a more uniform fruit distribution through thinning.
The project also involved validation and quality assessment activities. Agronomists validated the benefits of balanced cropping, confirming that thinned trees produced larger, higher sugar content fruit. The quality assessment process will further evaluate the size and sugar levels of the dried fruit.
The project achieved several key outcomes, including increased efficiency for growers and processors. Growers benefited from more informed decision-making, leading to time and cost savings in thinning activities. The production of larger, higher quality fruit improved market access and profitability for both growers and processors. Additionally, the project demonstrated the potential for reduced harvesting and drying costs due to better-targeted thinning activities.
Overall, the project successfully highlighted the benefits of fruit scanning technology for prune growers, providing valuable insights into its practical application and potential to enhance commercial viability in the industry.
