Re-envisioning whole field sensing with B-Hive ’ s Tuberscan
LEADING agri-tech business B-Hive Innovations continues to deliver innovative solutions for the fresh produce industry via an open and collaborative approach to addressing supply chain issues . Through developing TuberScan - an above and below ground crop sensing technology - it has taken a major leap towards eliminating potato food waste .
The research and development project for TuberScan is funded by Innovate UK ’ s Research and Innovation scheme - collaborating with Branston Ltd , The University of Manchester and Harper Adams University to create demonstration units .
Effie Warwick-John , project manager on TuberScan at B-Hive Innovations , says : “ Potato growing is not precision agriculture so it can be challenging for 18 FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk growers to understand the performance of the whole crop underground . With TuberScan we are trying to address this lack of clarity .
“ The current practice of random sampling followed by data extrapolation to cover the field does not always account for variance within the crop and can lead to inaccuracies in forecasting . At B-Hive Innovations , we asked : why use labour-intensive sample data when cutting-edge technology will achieve more accurate data across the whole field .
Placing actionable insights at the hands of growers to minimise wastage supports packers and retailers further along the supply chain
“ We want to empower growers with meaningful data-led insights to make better-informed management decisions based on potato size , count and variation . When developed , TuberScan will help growers to more confidently identify areas of poor performance , when to make allimportant burndown decisions , and where growers should target inputs of fertilizer or irrigation . All these choices can ultimately make or break a crop ’ s marketable yield .”
In its current iteration , the TuberScan system comprises of radar , GPS units and an in-field camera that surveys the field throughout the growing season . The project has utilised and adapted field-based technologies that were originally developed for the military - reapplying the knowledge and tools to the arable farming environment .