This article presents the perspective of Pegasus Agrifood Coop on fruit cracking and other challenges facing table grape production in Greece, as shared by Thanos Dritsopoulos, Agronomist at Pegasus Agrifood Coop. Drawing on hands-on experience from one of Greece’s most important agricultural regions, the testimony highlights the increasing pressure that climate conditions, water scarcity, and high temperatures place on yields and fruit quality, particularly in relation to fruit cracking.
Pegasus Agrifood Coop plays an active role in the CrackSense consortium as one of the farmers organisations closely connected to growers and production realities. Representing farmers and supporting their engagement in co-designing and testing project outcomes, Pegasus contributes both technical and non-technical expertise.
Within the project, Pegasus also provides the physical location for large-scale table grape field piloting in Greece, supporting pilot activities and facilitating direct interaction between researchers, technology providers, and farmers.
Could you briefly introduce yourself, your role, and your organisation?
I am Thanos Dritsopoulos, Agronomist at Pegasus Agrifood Coop. I studied at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and I am the primary operator of the TOMMY robotic system, in the CrackSense project in Greece. Pegasus is a co-operative focused on innovation, and that is why we have taken part in more than five Horizon projects.
Pegasus manages almost 100 hectares with different cultivars, especially grapes, and there are more than 50 farmers involved in our responsibility. As we try to achieve the best results for them, we need to continuously evolve ourselves and meet the needs of the farmers as effectively as possible.
What are the main production challenges you are currently facing?
The region of Corinth is an agricultural area that bases its economy on cultivars. There are many different cultivars in the area, such as citrus, apricots, and grapes, which have contributed significantly to the development of the area for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, during the last two or three years, we have faced a very severe dry winter in the area, and we have also experienced issues with very high temperatures in the summer. These conditions have prevented us from achieving the yield results that we expect.
The expected yield in Greece is 2.5 tonnes per stremma, or approximately 25 tonnes per hectare, which represents a very high level of production. However, the issue of high temperatures has reduced yields to less than two tonnes this year and in the previous year. We have tried everything, but the lack of water does not give us the availability to achieve the results we want, both for ourselves and for the farmers, in order to provide the benefits they expect.
In addition to the challenges of the last two or three years, our area has also faced a significant problem with fruit cracking. This has occurred in the local area of Poullitsa, where we are right now, as well as across a very large number of vineyards in Stimaga.
How are you working toward solutions to reduce or prevent fruit cracking?
To address this, we have tried different applications, irrigation strategies, plant growth regulators, and hormones, in order to observe how they affect cracking. We believe that we are currently in a good position with these experiments. With the knowledge shared by our colleagues from other countries, we aim to achieve better results, as well as improved quality and quantity for our yield.
Conclusion
The experience shared by Thanos underlines the importance of combining scientific knowledge, field experimentation, and farmer-driven insights to address complex challenges such as fruit cracking and climate stress. Through its involvement in CrackSense, Pegasus demonstrates how farmer organisations can play a central role in bridging research and practice, ensuring that innovative solutions are tested, refined, and validated under real farming conditions.
In addition to this perspective, further insights from Pegasus are available through a statement by Marcos Legas, President of Pegasus Agrifood Coop, who reflects on the role of producers, innovation, and collaboration in improving fruit quality and resilience.
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