Randwijk, March 19, 2025

Final results The Next Fruit 4.0 presented: technological innovations for sustainable and efficient fruit cultivation

Today, the final results of the project The Next Fruit 4.0 were presented at the Fruit Research Center (FRC) in Randwijk. More than 80 consortium partners and other interested parties attended the conclusion of this innovative project, in which high-tech and data management applications have been developed for sustainable and efficient fruit cultivation.

Sustainable cultivation and supply chain

One of the primary objectives of the project was improving the sustainability of fruit cultivation and the supply chain. By using advanced techniques, the use of crop protection products and fertilizers can be significantly reduced. The most important project results in this area are:

• Two validated prototypes of precision sprayers that are controlled at nozzle level based on smart calculation rules and decision models. Sensors ensure that the release of agents is lower, while the deposition remains the same.
• Using the ‘Behaviour Change Wheel’ method, research was conducted into which interventions could accelerate the implementation of precision spraying techniques. This resulted in valuable advice for technology companies, researchers, cultivation advisors and the government.
• Algorithms for detecting damage caused by canker. In combination with sensors, fruit growers can intervene more quickly and prevent the spread.

Yield maximization and cost minimization

The project also focused on optimizing production per hectare, improving sales results and preventing storage loss.

• A crop growth model was developed that combines weather conditions, setting, fruit drop and fruit numbers to optimize thinning strategies at tree level.
• To improve sales results, an innovative concept was developed in which a picking train drives under a gate and storage bins are automatically photographed. By providing the bins with RFID chips, growers will be able to quickly gain insight into the quality of a batch in the future. Wageningen University & Research (WUR) developed the necessary image processing techniques for this, with which fruit size distribution and in the future other quality aspects, such as colour and deviations of Conference pears, can be analysed.
• In order to be able to estimate the risks of storage loss, two types of sensors have been validated that can measure fruit quality non-destructively.

Multifunctional robotization in the orchard

With rising labor costs and decreasing availability of labor, the importance of robotization is greater than ever. Two prototype end-effectors have been delivered within The Next Fruit 4.0.

• A gripper that makes it possible to pick pears. The difficulty here was in developing the movement that a robot arm must make in order to pick the pear from the tree undamaged and in preventing pressure points that can result in fruit rot during storage.
• Researchers in the Netherlands and United States have combined their knowledge, resulting in a prototype end-effector for pruning red currants. Using camera technology, the 3D structure of a shrub can be analyzed, allowing the robot to distinguish between young and older wood. Although the technology is not yet fully autonomous, this is an important step in the further development of pruning robots.
• A calculation model was developed to map out the economic perspective of multifunctional robots in fruit cultivation. A crucial factor for the feasibility of robotization appears to be not only the size of the investment, but especially the extent to which a robot arm can be used for multiple tasks.

Initiators and partners

The project The Next Fruit 4.0 is an initiative of the Dutch Fruit Growers Organization (NFO), platform FRUITVOORUIT.nl, FME, WUR and the Delphy Improvement Center. The financing was made possible in part by the Top Sector Horticulture & Starting Materials and a broad consortium of 30 fruit growers and various companies from the Netherlands. The project also involved a unique collaboration with the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, which co-financed the research. More information about the project and the project partners involved can be found via this: [https://www.wur.nl/nl/onderzoek-resultaten/kennisonline-onderzoeksprojecten-lvvn/kennisonline/the-next-fruit-4.0.htm].

Note to editors: For further information, please contact project leader Peter Frans de Jong (WUR), available on T: 0488 473 744.