In Spain, an artificial intelligence (AI) system has been utilized within peach orchards to count and estimate the number of tree flowers with an accuracy of 90%, surpassing the 50% to 70% accuracy of manual counts.
This AI technology, a collaborative development by the National Robotarium Institute of the UK along with researchers from Chile and Spain, was trained to predict fruit tree production months in advance. Utilizing images captured by standard smartphones, the AI analyzes plant patterns to identify flowers, even those partially obscured.
This September, the accuracy of AI's peach crop predictions will be evaluated. Success could extend its application to other fruits like apples, pears, and cherries. Fernando Auat Cheein from the National Robotarium highlighted the technology's broad potential and noted Spanish farmers' appreciation for its simplicity and precision in aiding production management.
Source: abrafrutas.org