Digital tool helps solve problems in advance

The FruitLook system helps Western Cape farmers monitor key production parameters in orchards and vineyards, and identify potential problems. Dianca Yssel and Annaline Smith, application coaches at agricultural consultancy Blue North, describe case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the technology.

- Dianca Yssel and Annaline Smith

FAST FACTS

FruitLook is a web-based digital tool that enables farmers to track plant growth as well as water and nitrogen use in their orchards and vineyards.

It is already in use across 9,5 million hectares of Western Cape farmland.

Several case studies have proven how the results yielded by the FruitLook monitoring system can be used to improve production management.

FruitLook is a web-based tool used by farmers, consultants and researchers in the Western Cape since 2011. Once employed primarily for the monitoring of growth and water use in vineyards (hence its original moniker of GrapeLook), it is today compatible with a number of commodities and is used over a much larger area. At present, FruitLook covers 9,5 million hectares in the Western Cap. It is also free to use in the province as it is subsidised by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.

The tool uses eLEAF’s Pixel Intelligence technology to provide maps at a resolution of 20m x 20m.

FruitLook enables farmers to monitor the growth, water-use and crop nitrogen levels of the irrigation blocks on their farms on a weekly basis. Its field analysis functionality makes it possible to generate graphs and spatial maps that are useful for visually identifying problems that may arise in individual blocks.

This article explores a number of case studies of how FruitLook has assisted farmers.

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