A unique project to develop a commercially viable system for precisely targeting orchard inputs to specific trees, or even parts of a tree, has been given the go-ahead.
The project will use cutting-edge tech to digitally examine fruit trees in fine detail to allow inputs to be targeted in a way that has never been seen before in UK orchards.
The ultimate aim of the 4-year study is to reduce the environmental impact of fruit production by using fewer plant protection products, while boosting efficiency.
It will use digital scanning to generate precision dosing maps for blossom and fruit thinning, fertiliser application, growth regulators, pest control, and fungicides, as well as provide more accurate yield forecasting for growers.
Researchers say the integration with precision dosing application equipment will together help to reduce the use of plant protection products, increase yields and cut fruit losses.
The £4.5m precision orchard management for the environment (POME) project is being led by Hutchinsons agronomist, Rob Saunders, and is part-funded by Defra.
Mr Saunders said: "We want to take work on to the next stage and develop a commercially viable precision orchard management system that is ready for market in the next four years.”
"It’s about raising the efficiency of how we use all resources that go into fruit production, including the land.
The project hopes to develop a commercially viable application system that can use the data and digital maps generated to vary inputs according to the specific requirements of individual trees.
To achieve this level of detail requires a consistently high degree of accuracy, both in the mapping of crops, and in the variable application of inputs, Mr Saunders explained.
This is why Loughborough University has been enlisted, to provide its machine learning and location system, which can deliver exceptionally high centimetre-level navigation accuracy.
“Some might think that systems like this are complicated and expensive, and only suited to very large-scale farms," Mr Saunders said.
"But the system we are building will cater for different sizes of farm business and with optional services depending on the farm's need.
"The industry has changed a lot in recent years and will continue to do so as technology advances, and we believe systems like this will become commonplace."
He added: “Times change, and one thing is clear, the future certainly isn’t going to be like the past.”
The project has enlisted the help of two commercial farms in Kent - Plumford Farms Ltd and ACH Farming Ltd - to test the new system.
