The International Soft Fruit Conference was held at Delphy in Horst for the fourth time, spanning three days. Visitors from various places attend to learn about the latest developments and research in the field. While the event covers all soft fruits, strawberries are particularly highlighted.
Joost Scholten, Delphy. QMS Strawberry (Quality Management System Strawberry) is a data-driven software system that supports strawberry growers and entrepreneurs in planning and optimizing cultivation. The system easily connects with climate computers, and crucial plant data is collected via a crop registration app.
The sector is facing several challenges, with resilience being a key concern. Suppliers of products like biostimulants are quite pleased with the progress, and breeders are working hard to strengthen their varieties. Notably, hybrid strawberry varieties are gaining popularity, impacting cultivation methods significantly. Arie Bax from the Van der Knaap Group of Companies predicts that strawberry farming will soon undergo significant changes. "Hybrid varieties will play a role, along with the increasing demand for year-round production, labor shortages, and the reduction of crop protection permits. The industry stands on the brink of major transformations."
Bull Qii, Bogaerts Greenhouse Logistics
Besides the exhibition space, there were test setups of UV-C light. Autonomous applications from Bogaerts (Bull Qii) and Octiva (Xenion) drove along the strawberry gutters under the canopy.
Harvesting the fruits of autonomous growing
Companies like Growficient, YieldComputer, Delphy, and VDL ETG Projects are collaborating to combine their expertise for autonomous cultivation. They are operating under "Plucking the Fruits" of Opzuid, a European program aimed at innovation through transition. This system offers growers increased efficiency, improved yields, and reliable harvest forecasts, enhancing their market position. Large greenhouse complexes around the world can benefit from the standardization of cultivation knowledge, which helps minimize resource waste. The project aligns with climate and agricultural transition goals, promoting efficient resource use, ensuring food security, and reducing waste, an approach that addresses both national and international needs.
The project aims to take a first step toward autonomous cultivation by developing a decision-support system initially for strawberry and raspberry cultivation. This system, called 'scout', combines smart substrate sensors and cameras to predictively determine the water and nutrient needs of plants via an AI model. The innovation lies in the use of prescriptive analysis, which leverages data in a highly advanced way, a level above existing smart-farming techniques.
Vera Theelen, Delphy, guided visitors through the various studies
Seminars
The day concluded with speakers from Mechatronix, Wageningen UR, Delphy, and The Greenery. They spoke about lighting, mildew, sustainability in strawberry cultivation, climate settings, and energy efficiency in blueberry cultivation.
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For more information:
Vera Theelen
Delphy
Kreuzelweg 3B
5961 NM Horst
+31 (0)6 83 18 02 15
+31 (0)77 398 7500
[email protected]
https://delphy.nl/