And so another season starts in spectacular fashion 'Down Under'.
"It has been so good to hear some bees buzzing around in the orchards and doing what only bees can do", says General Manager - Automation, Paul Grobler, "Bees pollinate plants and therefore are crucial for food production, so anytime we see them out there doing their job, we are happy".
With Phytech trunk-sensors (dendrometers) measuring real-time micro-variations in stem diameter (which Phytech's algorithm translates into plant-status indicator), growers can also have a strong connection to their trees. Researchers at UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently discussed the possibility that Nonpareil almond trees and pollinator varieties might differ in water requirements. This can be attributed to the difference in tree size and crop load. Some growers already know this and have the proof through using Phytech. In most cases, according to our data, Carmel and Monterey experienced more stress compared to the NP variety, and this in turn related to variations in water demand. This was further validated by data from Australia, where our almond customers managed to save 80 billion liters in 2019 thanks to irrigating differently between varieties based on real-time water demand.
Grobler: "With clear visibility of different blocks' water-demand and our automation as a service capability, growers get a true 360 platform from the crop to drop. Using our IoT network they are connected to their trees and fruit and can save water by supplying just what trees are telling them - real-time water demand. With our new Hydraulic monitoring and automation solutions, our growers can supply their crop demand accurately, while saving labor and energy costs".
