Could Precision Pollination Someday Reduce Thinning Costs?

This is Tim Hammerich of the Ag Information Network with your Farm of the Future Report.

With over 100 varieties of apples in the US, precise timing and coordination of bloom status, hive placement, and pest management are essential for optimal yield and quality. BeeHero’s Pollination Insight Platform is using technology to provide growers with actionable, data-driven insights. Co-founder Itai Kanot is not stopping there. He says he’d like to see the platform someday help lower thinning costs as well.

Kanot… “ This is still in exploration mode. We're not at a point where we're able to actually provide this service. But something specifically for apples that we're exploring is the idea of maximizing the pollination period in a way that will reduce the need for thinning. There's a lot of expenses involved in the thinning process. They do some chemical thinning, but then in many cases they also have to go in and by hand remove some of the fruits. And we want to be able to utilize our capabilities with PIP to understand that. That's it. You got all the pollination you needed for king blooms and queen blooms and now it's time to get the bees out.”

Kanot said he doesn’t think they’ll ever eliminate thinning, but hopes tech can help reduce this burden for growers.