3D vision helps apple producers take control of crop load
management
PULLMAN,
Wash., March 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ADDIUM,
a leading provider of innovative solutions for agriculture,
today introduced POMETA, its new intelligent crop load management
system.
At a time when margins are thin, apple producers need to take
control of crop load management: optimize chemical thinning, get
the most value out of every laborer and consistently hitting crop
load targets. Getting crop load right means packing out more bins
per acre, hitting size targets, packing more high-quality fruit,
and realizing good return bloom.
"Fruit producers are squeezed on both sides," said POMETA
Director, Dave Brown. "Consumers and
grocery stores demand high quality fruit, but the labor needed to
produce the best fruit only gets more expensive. It is getting hard
to make money growing apples."
With POMETA technology, growers can quickly count clusters,
fruitlets, and fruit per tree, and estimate singles, doubles, and
triples. From 5 mm diameter, growers can determine individual size
and growth rates for thousands of fruit in a matter of minutes. And
using fruitlet counts and growth rates, POMETA helps growers dial
in chemical fruitlet thinning by automatically forecasting fruitlet
drop. And all this is possible without requiring routine
calibration manual counts.
According to Patrick Plonski,
POMETA Computer Vision Director, "We use iPhone video to construct
a 3D model of an orchard canopy, locate and size the fruit, and
estimate hidden (occluded) fruit. We see every tree from 100 or
more perspectives, which allows us to detect more fruit than any
photo-based technology. And the 3D technology allows us to track
the persistence of individual fruitlets, and measure individual
growth rates to the nearest mm."
POMETA offers the most sophisticated computer vision technology,
made simple and easy for growers to use. The POMETA data
acquisition app (POMViz) is as easy to use as taking a phone video.
The POMETA web app has a simple navigation and clear data displays
to provide growers with rapid insights.
And for harvest, POMETA offers forecasts of bins/acre and size:
starting from fruit set and improving as the harvest date
approaches. Post harvest, POMETA offers an easy bin scanning
solution for size and color distribution, only requiring a user to
wave a phone over one or more bins.
Also of note, is that POMETA includes a weather station with a
trusted reputation. With twelve weather sensors, no complex wiring
and simple setup, POMETA's weather station is favored by climate
researchers worldwide. Designed and built in the USA by POMETA's sister company, METER Group,
the station is made for continuous deployment in the world's
harshest climates and is widely considered to be the most reliable
machine of its kind.
Added Brown, "POMETA provides the only full-season, 3D crop load
management system in the palm of a growers hand. Orchard canopies
and fruit are 3D. The only way to robustly and reliably count fruit
and estimate crop loads is with a 3D solution. This technology will
be a difference maker for apple producers looking for a way to both
cut cost and improve fruit quality."
ABOUT ADDIUM, INC.
Addium delivers real-time, high-resolution data that fuels
production and processes for the food quality, environmental
research, urban and agriculture sectors. Through the power of its
employees, ADDIUM combines science, engineering, and design
expertise to turn physical measurements into useful
information.
Learn more at pometa.io
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mostafa Razzak
JMRConnect: Shaping Influence® PR
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1-917-912-0623
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SOURCE Addium