Plantalyzer enables accurate estimation of tomato harvest

HortiKey, a subsidiary of Berg Hortimotive, launches the Plantalyzer at Fruit Logistica. This innovative system is a tool for accurate estimation of vine tomato crops. The Plantalyzer counts the supply of vine tomatoes on the plant in the greenhouse and provides reliable information for an accurate estimate of the harvest. The system is developed in close collaboration with Wageningen University & Research (UR). This development was made possible by Rabobank.

The Plantalyzer uses special cameras to measure the bottom two to three, leaf-free, hanging trusses. The system maps the trusses per stem, the number of fruits per truss and the colour of each fruit. The Plantalyzer thus provides insight into numbers and colour stages. Linking this information to practical data from the greenhouse makes an accurate estimation of the harvest possible.

As Andreas Hofland, General Manager HortiKey tells us, 'With the Plantalyzer the grower gets a better grip on his business. The Plantalyzer is able to measure large areas of tomatoes, counting both quantity and maturity. The system does that tirelessly every day, and always in exactly the same way.' The Plantalyzer works fully automatically, and the images are made and analysed on the spot. The system then displays the results on the grower's screen.

Processing the latest technology
The system runs completely autonomously, without induction. The Plantalyzer is equipped with the Greenhouse Positioning System, so that it always knows the location. Thanks to this latest technology from Berg Hortimotive, the grower gets clear insight into the stock of tomatoes at each specific location in the greenhouse. The Plantalyzer also uses BergDrive, the new operating system that coordinates all logistics movements in the company.

Official launch
Visitors to Fruit Logistica 2018 in Berlin can meet the innovative Plantalyzer for the first time at the Steenks Service and Berg Hortimotive stand (Hall 4.1 stand B11). The system's official launch will be during a symposium at GreenTech, which takes place in Amsterdam in June of this year.

For more information:
Berg Hortimotive
Burg. Crezeelaan 42a
2678 KZ De Lier
The Netherlands
www.berghortimotive.nl