Using data to drive productivity – The Fruit Grower
National Fruit Show - Hutchinsons Stand 027 ...
Data is intrinsic to everyday decision- making within horticulture, from influencing strategic planning among buyers and retailers, to helping growers select effective product applications.
Our ability to capture and record accurate data has advanced dramatically, as have the systems needed to turn it into meaningful, profitable, management decisions on- farm, says Hutchinsons digital specialist, Tom Johnson.
“Tools such as Omnia, and TerraMap high-definition soil scanning, for example, are increasingly being used within the fruit and vine sectors. And, with new forms of spatial measurement being developed, such as flower or canopy density measurements, there will be even more scope for growers to accurately map and manage variations in crop performance to maximise output in future”.
Recording and documenting accurate data helps with compliance audits too, which are an annual feature of growers’ calendars, with the associated workload, he adds.
Data analysis is also crucial for helping evaluate new tools, technologies and production methods; knowledge that can assist growers in tackling many challenges.
Our horticultural team is involved with an extensive research programme, including the Hutchinsons Enhanced Light Interception Orchard System (HELIOS) planting system trials; a three-year codling moth control study; a Canker Reduction in Apple Fruit Trees (CRAFT) project; and the IRIS project that aims to improve resilience of scab fungicide programmes amidst a diminishing fungicide armoury.
Additionally, we are working with partners to develop a novel system for detecting scab spores in orchards, and last year, a £4.5m project also began using cutting-edge technologies to analyse fruit trees in fine detail, to develop a system for precisely targeting orchard inputs.
Visit stand 027 to learn about these projects, the latest approved products exclusive to Hutchinsons, tools such as Omnia and TerraMap, and our specialist environmental, soils, and digital services.
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