This period has been full of activity for CrackSense – from interesting events and open days to hands-on pilot trials and collaboration with other projects. In this update, you’ll find ways we’re supporting farmers with new tools and insights to help growers better predict and manage fruit cracking.
Join Us for a Joint STELAR & CrackSense Webinar
The STELAR and CrackSense projects invite you to an online session on Thursday, 24 July at 12:00 PM CEST, lasting about one hour.
This webinar, From Orchards to Orbits: Sensing Strategies in Agriculture, will focus on precision farming. CrackSense will share work on proximal sensing in orchards, while STELAR will cover remote sensing and satellite data for farm management.
All are welcome to attend and learn more about practical sensing approaches in agriculture. Register here to join!
CrackSense Open Day in Lithuania
As the CrackSense project enters its third year and moves into the piloting phase, this period is dedicated to hosting Open Days across partner locations.
In this light, the most recent CrackSense Open Day took place in Lithuania, where participants had the chance to visit sweet cherry orchards and see the TOMMY system in action, alongside drones, sensors and orchard monitoring technologies operating under real conditions. It was also an opportunity to meet the Beta via team, ask questions, exchange ideas and connect with growers and technology experts.
CrackSense Open Day at Novi Sad Agri Fairs
Alongside the CrackSense Open Day in Lithuania, we recently held an Open Day at the 92nd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where we also presented together with the STELAR project. This was an opportunity to connect directly with growers, industry experts, and policymakers.
Srdjan Penjivrag, Chief Research Officer at VizLore LLC, provided a hands-on demonstration of the TOMMY system, showcasing how sensor networks and real-time data help prevent fruit cracking and reduce yield losses. The event included media coverage on Serbia’s Agro TV, with project representatives explaining the practical benefits of our precision farming solutions.
CrackSense Joins NESTLER
Exchanging knowledge and experience is crucial in fulfilling the goals of CrackSense and supporting wider efforts towards more sustainable and resilient agriculture. That is why the recent NESTLER Project event at OTEAcademy in Athens was such an important opportunity to share insights and connect with other EU-funded initiatives, including AgriDataValue and the Georgia Project.
At this event, organised by the NESTLER Project and Synelixis Solutions, Katerina Kantari from the Agricultural University of Athens presented CrackSense’s work on early detection of fruit cracking. Her presentation, “Estimating pomegranate fruit cracking through proximal and aerial remote sensing,” highlighted how advanced monitoring tools can help reduce food loss by supporting timely intervention in the field.
Pilot Activities in France: Sweet Cherry Trials Underway
Pilot activities are well underway for the CrackSense project. Our first pilot is taking place in south-east France, where sweet cherry trials are now in progress at CTIFL. As a consortium member, CTIFL is leading orchard management and TOMMY system data collection, with additional UAV-based measurements provided by INRAE.
The pilot covers two orchards with different cherry varieties, ranging from highly to less susceptible to fruit cracking. The aim is to monitor conditions and collect detailed data to improve prediction and support timely responses, helping growers protect their crops more effectively.
CrackSense Presented at the Israeli Society of Agricultural Engineering Annual Meeting
As part of ongoing knowledge sharing efforts, CrackSense was recently presented at the annual meeting of the Israeli Society of Agricultural Engineering. The project featured several oral presentations and posters by research teams from the Volcani Institute and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, covering topics including pomegranates, citrus, and table grapes.
Check the News and Blog Posts in the CrackSense Newsroom
In this period, CrackSense marked several important days that align with the project’s goals, including World Meteorological Day, Europe Day, and World Environment Day – all highlighting the importance of climate resilience and sustainable practices in agriculture. Alongside these, we also shared educational blogs on topics such as smart crop insurance, showcasing how data-driven tools can help farmers manage risks in a changing climate.
