This platform allows workers to safely pick fruit without having to climb and carry ladders.

by Sally Colby

   Ten years ago, most growers wouldn’t have guessed tools such as string thinners, drum shakers and platforms would ease the workload in the orchard. However, concern about the cost and availability of labor has spurred research efforts to increase production efficiency in orchards. 

   According to Gwen Hoheisel, Washington State University extension educator, the USDA set aside significant funds in the last farm bill for the specialty crop industry in a project known as Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops, or CASC. The program is funded by USDA-SCRI (Specialty Crop Research Initiative) and private industry, with the goal of developing comprehensive automation strategies and technologies for the specialty crop industry. CASC is comprehensive program and includes six disciplines: crop assessment; pest, plant and soil monitoring; autonomous vehicles, outreach, socioeconomic analyses and commercialization. 

   In particular, CASC will focus on apple and ornamental and tree fruit nursery production in Pennsylvania, Washington and Oregon; states that account for 60 percent of the U.S. fresh apple production. Growers in the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic regions are also major producers of peaches, pears, cherries, grapes and crops grown in greenhouse systems. 

“There have been tremendous strides in technology in our lifetime,” said Dr. Jim Schupp, Associate Professor of Pomology at Penn State’s Fruit Research Lab in Biglerville, PA. “Some of these technologies have been introduced to the fruit industry and we don’t even think about them any more. Other parts of technology haven’t been fully exploited.” Dr. Schupp added that innovations such as image analysis on apple packing lines and computerized inventory are in use, but there’s a lot of proven technology that still hasn’t been taken to the field. “We’re using the same kind of tractors and sprayers our grandfather used, we’re standing on our own hind legs to march around the orchard to count insects and traps,” said Dr. Schupp. “That’s 1980s technology.”

   Dr. Schupp says CASC examines long term goals while putting short term achievements into practice. “The immediate measurable success is that it brought back engineering — full-strength — in specialty crops.” said Dr. Schupp, noting harvest labor as a prime example. “Harvest labor is the most expensive part of production,” he said. “Every growers’ dream is harvest that involves just a few people. However, in the meantime, there are some things we can do. We’ve demonstrated we can gain labor efficiency and a degree of increased safety because now we don’t have ladder accidents.” 

SCRI targeted $28 billion for researching labor innovations for orchard crops and vineyards across the United States in a ten-year period. For example, a project at Washington State University received a $3.8 million grant for “A Total Systems Approach to Developing a Sustainable, Stem-free Sweet Cherry Production, Processing and Marketing System.” In this project, plant physiologist Matthew Whiting and his team will take a multi-faceted approach as they examine genetics, growing systems and marketing.

   One important piece of automation CASC will be examining is the autonomous prime mover that can ‘see’ trees and steer without human guidance. “Instead of using GPS to determine tree location, it uses laser as the machine moves down the row,” said Gwen. “The idea is that you take the technology of the lasers, the computer program, the algorithms and attach that to anything — to a platform, a sprayer, an ATV — whatever fits in your operation.” The prime mover will be able to aid in tasks such as insect monitoring, pest scouting, disease detection and crop load evaluation; all tasks that would normally be done by humans.

   Dr. Schupp referred to automated picking systems for tree fruits as the holy grail of automation. “I think we’re on the road that will lead us to that,” he said, “but no one thinks it’s going to be immediate. What we’re doing now is the background work, and along the way there will be spinoffs that will come into use more rapidly.” For instance, a labor assist platform that steers and regulates itself rather than having to be driven would be more advanced than what’s currently available. “While it’s in the row, it can be somewhat autonomous,” said Schupp. “What we’re thinking is that it may provide a useful platform for data collection and similar tasks.” In this case, the platform is the prime mover; the basis of future technology. “Whatever new technology there is will be on a prime mover that drives itself throughout the orchard.” Dr. Schupp suggests that evaluations such as canopy, plant stress, drought stress, nutrient deficiency and insect hot spots are all potential tasks for the prime mover and its equipment . 

   Gwen says that a critical aspect of CASC will be to ask, “if we do good outreach and extension and increase two-way communication, do we get a better product faster?’ “Early adopters (of new technology) are really important,” she said. “We know that someone will adopt a practice, then tell a neighbor, and so on. They trust what each other says. We just try to present the opportunities”

   Ultimately, the most important beneficiaries of CASC will be consumers. “We really want to be part of the movement toward increasing health and wellness in the United States,” said Gwen, “and we’re going to do it through consumption.”