Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21; Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22; Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23; Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Source: NY AGRICULTURAL EXPT STATION submitted to NRP
PRECISION CROP LOAD MANAGEMENT FOR APPLES
When Gemini asked to summarize current tab (linked page above):
The document you are viewing, “Precision Crop Load Management for Apples,” is a project report detailing a multi-state research effort funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
The main points of the summary are:
- Goal: To improve the economic profitability of apple production by developing precision crop load management (PCLM) tools. This involves moving beyond expensive, imprecise manual and chemical thinning methods.
- Approach: The project uses a systems approach that integrates plant physiology, crop management, computer vision, robotics, economics, and extension to give growers the ability to accurately calculate and achieve an optimal fruit number per tree.
- Key Technological Accomplishments:
- Models: Development of a universal Pollen Tube Growth Model (PTGM) and a fruitlet size distribution model to predict final fruit set and guide chemical thinning decisions.
- Vision/Robotics: Collaboration with commercial technology companies (e.g., Outfield, Vivid Machines) for field-testing machine vision systems (drones, cameras) to count reproductive structures.
- Automation: Development of an unmanned ground robot for data acquisition and 3D modeling of apple trees, along with robotic end-effectors for branch cutting and fruit pulling.
- Economic Findings: Research determined that the optimum crop load to maximize profit is approximately 9 fruits/cm² TCA for ‘Gala’ and 8 fruits/cm² TCA for ‘Honeycrisp’.
- Outreach: Results are disseminated through the project website PACMAN.extension.org (listed in the document’s content) and through numerous presentations at winter fruit schools, field days, and industry conferences.
The project is currently in its final year, with a projected end date of August 31, 2025.