Through selective root pruning in the orchard, fruit growers can regulate the growth of fruit trees.
Munckhof Fruit Tech Innovators has developed a new concept that enables fruit growers to perform root pruning automatically at tree level.
Munckhof’s root pruner has integrated GPS technology and automatic blade control. Fruit growers can adjust the root pruning to the height of each individual tree and have it done automatically.
Growth detection via drone images
Precision orcharding is a method of actively collecting data at tree level throughout the year, analysing it and using it to optimise the fruit harvest.
Fruit growers who want to use precision fruit growing for root pruning have drone images taken to determine the shoot lengths of individual trees.
Specialist plant information companies take these images and provide accurate growth vigour maps. These show the variation in shoot lengths at both row and tree level to determine the correct approach to root pruning for each tree and convert this into a digital task map that is fed into the Munckhof Root Cutter. The Munckhof root pruner then carries out root pruning fully automatically only for those trees for which a pruning task is available.
See this article in Tree Fruit June 2023
