AgriTECH

Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Count Citrus Trees

- BRAD BUCK

IN HIS QUEST to find the right drone and other artificial intelligence to help ensure citrus growers get an accurate count of their crop, Yiannis Ampatzidis and his research team have developed a system known as Agroview.

The technology saves farmers time and money and helps them accurately count their trees, which is important for insurance purposes.

The latest results of the University of Florida scientist’s research show a computerized method that counted 175,977 citrus trees on a commercial citrus farm in Hendry County at nearly 98 percent accuracy.

Ampatzidis also found that the combination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and Agroview — a novel type of cloud-based technology — counts trees and measures their canopy, which is important for farmers to maintain their insurance policies. Insurance companies need to know how many trees a farmer has – and how dense they are – so they can decide whether to renew the growers’ policies and at what price.