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Projects

Project:

CrackSense

Intro

Summer is a great time for lovers of sweet and, at the same time, healthy food. In summer, we can satisfy our sweet tooth without harming our health and figure. Sour and sweet, they can serve us as a wonderful dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Swapping candies and cakes for sweet cherries isn't such a bad idea! The more cherries we have, the more joy we have, and the better our health is!

Sometimes, we encounter cracks in sweet cherries while enjoying their harvest. An extended drought causes fruit to crack when plenty of water is made available to the plants. How can we prevent this from happening?

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How does it work?

Cherry cracking will be observed using sensing technology, which plays an important role in the sustainable intensification of the agricultural system. With sensor technology, the growing demand for food is met by maximizing yields with minimal inputs such as water, fertilizer and seeds.

Since cracking in sweet cherry fruit depends on the cultivar, and is caused by localised water uptake and not by the amount of water taken up, the wetness duration and cracking seem to correlate. The sensors will collect preliminary data on the climate and parameters of the fruits and link them to the tendency of the fruits to crack. Since natural rain cracking is unpredictable, cracking can be created with artificial rain and potted trees. On the other hand, under natural conditions, even with little or no rainfall, by using varieties with contrasting cracking susceptibility, we increase the chances observing cracking.

Why is this needed?

Cracking in sweet cherry fruit is a major problem in the production of this high-value crop in nearly all regions where this crop is cultivated, and an amount of 25% split fruit is said to make the harvest uneconomic. Fruit cracking results in yield loss in many fruit crops, including citrus, sweet cherry, table grape, pomegranate, tomato, persimmon and many others.


+370 620 80238
Draugystes str. 20, LT-89167 Mazeikiai, Lithuania

Company code: 300635091
VAT code: LT100004103016
Bank account: LT413500010017004947