After a ' silent phase ' of development and examination of two innovations by growers in the greenhouse , Plantfellow has been putting its olfactory organ to the grindstone in recent months . The two new product stock of the Dutch horticultural trade name from Sobolt , which was found in 2017 , were on display at several horticultural bazaar and events .
It is the run - up to upscaling and a large - shell market launch in 2023 , reveals Jasper van der Auweraert , who as of this year is the face of the horticultural brand , together with Dennis van der Wiel . At the fair and event , they showed the digital scouting solution ScoutCam and the phenotyping answer AutoPheno .
Jasper ( left ) at GreenTech Amsterdam 2022 with fellow Mees Fröberg and Dennis van der Wiel
Image recognitionThe summertime of 2021 was ' the development time of year ' for the untested brand . This year is the ' class of proof , ' in Jasper ’s quarrel . " The first hordes of ScoutCams are now run in the glasshouse and doing their occupation well there . Growers learn how to play with them and gain confidence in them . "
The ScoutCam was tested in five crops in 2021 : cucumber , bell pepper , tomato , chrysanthemum , and genus Gerbera . The growth of the system started after interrogative from raiser . " In our initial phase , we talked a lot with parties in the sphere and visited agriculturist . They asked for robotic pest detection system but aver there were none available yet . "
Systems did survive for phenotyping . " But they are quite expensive , " sound out Jasper . " With AutoPheno , we offer a system at down cost that can do ninety percentage of the body of work for the agriculturist . Not everyone wants to drive a Ferrari . A Tesla is also good . "
Although , at first coup d’oeil , the ScoutCam and the AutoPheno are quite different , if only in term of size of it , there are still some similarities between the two systems . " Our own expertise had to match the demands of the horticultural sector . That essay to be the display case . From Sobolt , we already have the experience in other sectors with 2D and 3D figure recognition . "
AutoPheno
Pests and biologic control agentsPlantfellow is center on cultivation with the ScoutCam , and with AutoPheno initially on breeding , extension , and research . In the future , Jasper sees opportunities to get engineering science to cultivation as well . " The vertical farming market is interesting here . A pile of things have been automated , but phenotyping for good crop ascendence is still often lack . "
In terms of pest detection , grower lacked system that could monitor thrips . " For whitefly , however , there were already system of rules in place , " enounce Jasper . " We monitor both types of pests . We are now seeing the first positive results in the greenhouses of cultivator , which is unique with this variety of organization for thripid . "
Next year , many more growers should become introduce with the possibilities of the digital exploratory survey solution . Plantfellow also need to add other pests , including in other crop . " Insects fly everywhere . The next stride will be the monitoring of biologic control agents . "
What set the ScoutCam aside is its unchanging digital count . " There are now system for counting whitefly using a mobile earphone , " says Jasper , " but such systems are more raw to spark and to the person consume the photos than our system is . This is because we attach the organization to a nursery tower . That gives stability . Moreover , we have control over the lighting and the keenness of the photos . That keep mistake . "
The ScoutCam with splasher
scale upNow that the applied science solve , Plantfellow is take care to read the datum for the ScoutCam into information that the raiser can apply immediately . " The information must be of immediate practical employment . Think , for example , of the transformation of a digit about the figure of pest insects caught on a sticky trap into when the grower ask to apply his biota . It ’s about converting camera information into information for the grower . "
A finical challenge in phenotyping with 2D and 3D figure of speech is scaling up , Plantfellow notes . Jasper is win over that with experience from other sphere , this will succeed . " Automatically extracting information from 2D and 3D images in a laboratory setting is not the most unmanageable thing to do , certainly not for one plant . But we want to do that for the total glasshouse . We are already seeing harvest anticipation that appear at the bottom of the crop . We want to move towards more difficult conformation of crop registration . They will be needed for steering self-directed crops . At that point , you will have to take into account data processing on a big scale , and you will necessitate a different type of swarm system . "
As already suggest , Plantfellow for AutoPheno is not yet look directly at yield crops to utilize the phenotyping proficiency . However , there are already ideas about how this can be done . " When we take phenotyping to output , we want to connect up with exist robots . That is our orientation . We think we can add to what is already available in greenhouses . Think of advance harvest registration on a large scale , with deal of information , take aim into report any leaf hang in front of works and ignition of the camera for proficient images . We draw on experience from other sectors . "
Plantfellow has everything in - house for the upscaling step in 2023 , Jasper musical note . " We are very consciously scaling up in the first . In principle , we want to continue dominance of the institution of systems . The implementation in practice has to go really well . That is why we desire to be on the orchis . Until at least the first scaling - up phase , we will remain in control . However , that does not mean that we will rule out collaborations in this phase , only that these will be controlled collaborations . "
ScoutCam in the genus Gerbera crop
Open cultivation and international?The focus is presently on the Netherlands . Internationally , however , they are already explore the hypothesis . A mission to the United States in the first place this year bears viewer to this . " The first talk with parties in North America are underway . " Jasper and the squad also meet with interested external parties at trade fair . What struck him most was a question about the economic consumption of the ScoutCam in subject refinement . " We are now focusing on cultivation in nursery . Open cultivation takes position on a much larger scale . There , monitoring pests everywhere on localization is at least as boastful a challenge . We are therefore unquestionably keeping the pick of moving into open refinement in the back of our minds . "
For more information : Jasper van der AuweraertPlantfellow[email protected][email protected]www.plantfellow.com
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