Pomegranate
EXPERIMENTS
Location: Israel
One of the essential techniques tested and monitored in the experiments is irrigation, offering valuable insights into optimal water management strategies for arid regions. It has a direct impact on plant physiology, influencing processes such as nutrient absorption and transpiration, which are vital for growth, fruit development, and yield, which may be hindered by the fruit cracking.
Location: Greece
Partners: AUA
A wide range of experimental activities will be conducted, including irrigation management. This practice is essential for maintaining soil moisture levels that match the plants’ needs and mitigation of drought and/or excessive water stress in pomegranates.
Technologies which are tested and applied in Israel and Greece are:
3D temperature point cloud technology is utilised to create a three-dimensional map of temperature variations in the orchard, enabling the monitoring of microclimatic conditions that affect plant stress, growth, and fruit ripening.
Fruit wetness sensors measure the presence and the intensity of moisture on the fruit's surface, monitoring events and contributing factors which precede fruit cracking, such as rain.
Dendrometers continuously monitor changes in both fruit and tree trunks, providing data on water status and growth patterns essential for adjusting irrigation and predicting harvest quantity.
Soil texture, moisture, and mineral analysis is one of the key physical and chemical properties of the soil, analysed to provide targeted fertilisation and irrigation practices to enhance plant growth and soil health.
Satellite imagery and environmental monitoring allow for large-scale observation of orchard conditions, including temperature, humidity and is combined with meteorological data to support the fruit cracking risk factor analysis.
Edge computing and AI modelling to allow for the real-time processing and analysis of data from various sensors, enabling predictive modelling which will be integrated into the Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS).
