Industry Trends: Farming Forward – Smart Agri
How Can Smart Farming Tools Protect Fruit from Heat and Cracking?
Artificial intelligence is entering the world of fruit production, from 3D scans that predict fruit cracking to transparent farm management models that build trust. Other innovations include bio-coatings and apps that tackle heat stress. At FRUIT LOGISTICA 2025, experts demonstrated how deep learning, sensors and mobile tools are transforming orchards into data-driven ecosystems. AI is now an everyday tool, not just a buzzword.
Cracking the Code: 3D Scans and Fruit Health
Dr Sören Discher of Point Cloud Technology demonstrated how 3D point clouds – digital reconstructions of orchards created using LiDAR and imaging sensors – enable real-time fruit monitoring. By analysing factors such as shape, surface smoothness, temperature and wetness levels, AI models can predict the risk of fruit cracking, which is a major cause of yield loss.
Preliminary trials on pomegranates, apples, and cherries have shown promising results, with automated segmentation already capable of identifying fruit clusters and assessing their cracking risk. The company aims to deliver field-ready solutions within the year, making cutting-edge computer vision technology accessible to farmers.
From Black Box to Trustworthy AI
Dr Sezer Kutluk of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) shifted the focus to explainable AI, or XAI, which she said was a critical step towards building trust in digital agriculture. Although conventional deep-learning models produce accurate results, they are often “black boxes” whose decision-making processes remain opaque.
Using practical examples, Dr Kutluk demonstrated how algorithms can mistakenly rely on irrelevant cues, a phenomenon known as shortcut learning. XAI methods visualise which features models use, helping scientists to identify biases and enabling farmers to trust predictions. “Accuracy alone is not enough,” stressed Kutluk, highlighting that transparency will be essential for applications in food security, sustainability, and compliance with future regulations.
Bio-Coatings: A Natural Shield Against Sunburn
Increasing heat and solar radiation are damaging the quality of fruit, affecting everything from firmness to pigmentation. ATB’s Dr Helene Fotouo Makouate presented a preliminary study on the application of bio-coatings in orchards.
Using microclimate sensors, her team differentiated between shaded and exposed fruit within canopies and demonstrated how coatings can protect apples from sunburn, delayed ripening and storage problems. When combined with controlled-atmosphere storage, the coatings helped to maintain the firmness and sugar content of the apples, offering a low-input strategy to extend their shelf-life and safeguard produce in a warming climate.
Mobile Apps for Heat-Stress Management
To conclude the session, Dr Manuela Zude-Sasse, also from ATB, presented a concept for a mobile application designed to support crop management in conditions of climate stress. Using 3D laser scanners combined with thermal cameras, researchers can now map the temperature distribution of individual fruits within the canopy.
These data are fed into thermodynamic and neural-network models that predict the risk of heat damage. When integrated into a user-friendly app, the system issues real-time alerts during heatwaves and recommends countermeasures such as reflective coatings, micro-sprinklers or hail nets. Farmers can also provide feedback to improve the accuracy of the predictions, creating a participatory loop of data collection and model refinement.
Smart Agri: The Path Ahead
One thing was made clear during the session: digital tools for orchards are ready to move beyond the research stage. From automated fruit scanning to transparent AI and from biological coatings to predictive apps, Smart Agri is about empowering farmers with data-driven decision-making tools, not replacing them.
The challenges now are adoption, collaboration and regulatory support. As climate stress intensifies, those who embrace innovation will become more resilient, while those who do not risk falling behind.
This newsblog article was created in partnership with Fruitnet Media International.