The CrackSense Pomegranate Open Day took place on 22 October 2025 at Kibbutz Tsor’a, Israel. The event gathered researchers, growers, and project partners to exchange insights on fruit cracking and observe the experimental setup designed to monitor this phenomenon. Organised within the CrackSense project’s series of Open Days, the event served as a bridge between research and real-world agricultural practice, fostering collaboration and understanding among participants.
Understanding Fruit Cracking in Pomegranates
Fruit cracking in pomegranate is a widespread physiological disorder that can lead to yield losses of up to 50%, with serious implications for fruit quality and storage potential. The condition is usually triggered by sudden changes in water availability and internal pressure during the final stages of fruit growth.
This challenge is particularly pronounced in semi-arid Mediterranean regions, where pomegranate cultivation continues to expand amid fluctuating climate conditions and irrigation demands. Traditional methods of assessing cracking risk often rely on visual inspection, which provides limited accuracy and no early warning. Recent research has demonstrated that physiological and spectral indicators can offer a more reliable way to detect early signs of water stress and anticipate disorders that may affect fruit yield.
How the Pomegranate Open Day Unfolded
The Pomegranate Open Day brought together three CrackSense partners – Volcani Institute (ARO), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), and Kibbutz Tsor’a – who jointly contributed to the day’s success through their presentations and field demonstrations.
Idit Ginzberg from the Volcani Institute, Israel’s leading agricultural research organisation and the coordinating institution of the CrackSense consortium, opened the event with welcoming words, presenting the project’s objectives, introducing the concept of fruit cracking, and explaining the role of Volcani and the Tsor’a orchards in the demonstration. Following her introduction, she also guided participants through the experimental design of the pomegranate trials.
Victor Alchanatis, coordinator of the CrackSense project, presented methods for remote and proximal sensing of cracking-related fruit properties, showing how these techniques help monitor and assess fruit quality.
Tarin Paz-Kagan from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, one of Israel’s foremost research institutions, shared insights into predictive models for yield and fruit cracking, highlighting the university’s work in technologies such as remote sensing, precision agriculture, sensor fusion, image processing, computer vision, and artificial intelligence.
From Kibbutz Tsor’a, Assaf Tzur presented the grower’s perspective, highlighting the benefits of close collaboration between farmers and researchers. Kibbutz Tsor’a, situated in central Israel, provided the perfect setting for the event. Agriculture is one of its main activities, ranging from orchards and field crops to greenhouses and livestock. Within CrackSense, Tsor’a contributes its pomegranate orchards cultivated under high standards for the fresh fruit market.
Why Open Days Matter
Open Days are a crucial part of the CrackSense project’s outreach and dissemination efforts. They provide an opportunity for direct interaction between scientists, growers, and agricultural stakeholders, ensuring that research results reach those who can apply them in practice.
Each event is designed to demonstrate practical results, strengthen collaboration within the agricultural community, and encourage the adoption of innovative monitoring and management methods. The Pomegranate Open Day was one in a series of such events held across different partner countries, each focusing on various crops and challenges related to fruit cracking.
On the Horizon
As CrackSense continues its work, additional Open Days are planned to further demonstrate the project’s progress across different regions and fruit types. These gatherings remain vital in promoting practical learning and encouraging knowledge exchange within the agricultural sector.
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