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Data Management Platform, AI-based Digital Twin system, process-based models, AI & Machine Vision, field localization and mapping system, robotic systems (retrofit tractor and Direct Injection Spraying (DIS) system).
Yield increase by 15-20% per annum, chemical use decrease, operational costs decrease.
Currently the apple orchard has the Hesperides platform as digital field notebook (https://hesperides.farm/) for data logging, management and fungus prediction. It also has a meteorological station to measure rain, temperature, humidity and wind speed. For each apple variety there are humidity probes in the soil (at three levels), in order to measure the humidity and adjust the irrigation accordingly, once per day. Also, the orchard field has poles every 10.8 meters that are georeferenced with centimeter precision.
In terms of spraying, it is done with human-driven tractors and they are equipped with a GNSS system to provide localization information only.
Given the descripted operative, the apple orchard waste is, in average, of about 8% of the total production per year (apples affected by fungus).
With the help of more precise AI based prediction algorithms, together with autonomous tractors equipped with sensors to detect the health of the plant in order to apply the right kind and amount of fungicides, at the right time, in the right place, Smart Droplets project expects to decrease the waste.
Also, as the autonomous tractors are able to work 24/7, and they will be able to apply the right amount of fungicides, there are also expectations to decrease the operative expenses and fungicide expenses in a great manner.
