Developments in Technology and Automation for Tree Fruit

Katie EllisPenn State Cooperative Extension of

Adams County

Penn State Specialty

Crop Innovations

Ag Innovations Team

PSU FREC – Jim Schupp, Larry Hull, Henry Ngugi, Jim Travis, Greg Krawczyk, Lynn Kime, Edwin

Winzeler, Tom Kon

PSU Southeast Region - Tara Baugher, Katie Ellis, Jim Remcheck,

Student Interns

PSU State College – Rob Crassweller, Rich Marini, Paul Heinemann, Jay Harper

Adoption of New Ag Technologies

8 yr lag to early adoption/15 yrs to full adoption

From Alston, Norton, and Pardey

Science Under Scarcity,1995.

Innovative Technologies for the Thinning of Fruit

USDA-SCRI

Specialty Crops Research Initiative

PSU, UC Davis, Clemson, WSU, UMD, UIL, USDA

Innovative Technologies for Thinning of Fruit

Trans-disciplinary goal:To develop and field test novel mechanized

methods of thinning specialty crops and to assess sociological and economic feasibilities of industry implementation

A multi-disciplinary team will investigate approaches that integrate electronics, mechanical components, and decision making algorithms to provide efficient, cost-effective, and ecosystem-based fruit thinning. These objectives include both research and extension components, and provide for industry interaction to address the many issues involved in the development to delivery process.

Selective Thinning Investigations

Simulating human movement with machines

Non-Selective Thinning InvestigationsIn Cooperation with WSU, UC Davis, Clemson, USDA

Mechanical Thinning at Various Bud Stages

Modifying Pruning Practices to Improve Access by Mechanical Thinners

Various combinations of labor efficient thinning methods

Photo by Mark Seetin, USApple

String Configurations

Thinning Results

• Blossom removal ranged from 20-55%. Factors that affected removal rates included string arrangement, tractor speed, spindle rotation speed, cultivar, tree training system, pruning, and bud stage.

• Hand thinning requirements were reduced by 25-65%, and fruit size distribution improved in all but one trial.

• Net economic impact at optimum tractor and spindle speeds was $462-$1490 and $230-$847 for processing and fresh market peaches, respectively.

Thinning Results

Implications for Growers

Mechanical thinners are consistent in both reducing labor costs and increasing fruit size

(Chemical thinners are fairly consistent in reducing fruit set and increasing fruit size but not in reducing follow-up hand thinning)

Blossom Thinned with String Thinner

Hand Thinned

Outreach & Grower Input

“ I saved $3,000 in labor over a two

month period”

“My operation cut down on hand thinning time by a week”

Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops

USDA-SCRISpecialty Crops Research

Initiative

CMU, PSU, Purdue, OSU, WSU, USDA

Reconfigurable Mobility

Goal: develop reconfigurable vehicles that can be used for several functions, like spraying, mowing, harvest, pruning, and thinning

- Research on accurate

vehicle positioning to

georeference crop and

environmental conditions

Augmented Fruit Harvesting Devices

Needs:

– Hand picking accounts for ~50% of total fruit production costs

– Up to 30% of fruit is damaged during harvest

Photo by Mark Seetin, USApple

Russell Rohrbaugh & Alex Leslie

Detection of Plant Stress, Disease, and Insect Infestations

Input Images Detection Results

Monitoring Insect Populations

Goals:

– Automatically monitor orchard pest (moth) populations with high spatial and temporal resolution

– Reduce costs associated with checking conventional wing traps

Autonomous Crop Load Scouting

Goals:

– Better crop load measurements (more accurate and less costly than manual approach)

• Crop load measurements influence various orchard management decisions (e.g., matching harvesting to orders; fertilizer, irrigation, pest control measures)

• Autonomous scouting enables orchard management decisions to be made in a more timely and accurate manner

Other Components of CASC

• Sociological Implications

– Socioeconomic surveys

• Value Proposition

• Outreach

• Feedback from

advisory panel

Related Investigations in New Technologies

CIG Plots · Orchard Platform · WeedSeeker®

United States Department of AgricultureNatural Resources Conservation Services

Conservation Innovation Grant

Brad & Bruce Hollabaugh Brian JacquesDave & Shawn GarretsonBill Gardenhour

Brian, Kevin, & Kyle Knouse Corey McCleaf Neil Starner Ed & Justin Weaver

Seth & Dan Boyer Ken Guise/Dave Cox Michael FlinchbaughTony & Terry Fetters

Field Laboratories

on New Training Systems

for Intensive Orchards

Narrow Vertical Axis

Vertical Axis Hedgerow

(4-Wire Trellis)

Platform Trials

Photo by Sally Colby

WeedSeeker® Trials

Many cooperators contributed to this research – Thank You!

• PSU College of Agriculture Seed Grant Program• PA Department of Community and Economic

Development First Industries Program• State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania

Extension Committee• PDA Peach and Nectarine Board• Robert C. Hoffman Foundation• Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission

Important funds used to support Specialty Crop Innovations Coordinator and

Student Interns

Work conducted so far - made possible by:

Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences research, extension, and resident education programs are funded in part by Pennsylvania counties, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsements by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.

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Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County

Penn State Fruit Research and Extension Center

Penn State Departments of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Horticulture

www.abe.psu.edu/scri

www.cascrop.com