Monitoring wetness on sweet cherry surfaces: new techniques to reduce cracking

22 Oct 2024
560

Fruit cracking is a common physiological disorder in many sweet cherry-growing regions. It occurs when rain and/or high humidity concentrate in the period leading up to harvest, wetting the fruit’s surface. Water from rain, fog, cold exposure, or dew formation can cause the pericarp to split, damaging the fruit and leading to significant production losses.

With ongoing climate change, the risk of cracking is further amplified, making it increasingly necessary to find solutions to monitor and prevent this occurrence.

A recent study by German researchers introduces a new methodology based on the use of close-range remote sensing (CRRS) to monitor the temperature of sweet cherry fruit. Using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, combined with thermal imaging, they were able to create 4D point clouds representing the fruit with temperature annotations.

This approach allowed the researchers to study the temperature distribution in sweet cherry orchards and model the formation and persistence of wetness on the fruit's surface. Surface wetness is, in fact, one of the main factors contributing to cracking, and understanding its spatial and temporal distribution is essential for developing mitigation strategies.

The study’s results show that cracking is not necessarily linked to water absorption but rather to the duration of wetness presence on the fruit surface. Temperature models obtained through LiDAR 4D revealed that sweet cherry tree canopy density has a marginal impact on wetness formation.

Image 1: (a) Multisensor platform and example raw 3D point cloud of a cherry canopy. (b) Example of a scanned cherry tree (T5) with delimited spatial locations (1 to 6). ϕ is the polar angle with respect to the LiDAR position, ranging from 0 to π from the top to the bottom of the canopy. Fruit clusters marked in red were distributed in the six locations. Source: Tapia-Zapata et al., 2024.

However, monitoring surface temperatures made it possible to identify when the fruit approaches or exceeds the dew point, a key indicator of potential wetness formation. The study found that when the dew point threshold index (Ydew) exceeds a value of 1.17, no wetness forms on the fruit’s surface.

Temperature monitoring using this technology allowed the development of a predictive model for wetness formation, which can be applied in ecological studies to improve plant resilience to climate change. Furthermore, the ability to collect spatially precise data at the fruit level offers new opportunities to predict and consequently reduce sweet cherry cracking damage, improving production quality and minimizing losses.

In conclusion, the application of techniques like CRRS and LiDAR for temperature modeling in sweet cherry orchards represents an interesting development in cracking control solutions. This technology enables real-time fruit surface monitoring, identifying wetness formation risks, and potentially contributing to the development of integrated models to reduce cracking damage across the entire orchard.

Source: Tapia-Zapata, N., Winkler, A., & Zude-Sasse, M. (2024). Occurrence of Wetness on the Fruit Surface Modeled Using Spatio-Temporal Temperature Data from Sweet Cherry Tree Canopies. Horticulturae, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10070757.
Image: SL Fruit Service

Andrea Giovannini
University of Bologna (IT)


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

The profitability of sour cherry cultivation in Turkey: cost analysis and opportunities

Production

14 Feb 2025

Data collected from 138 farms show that the average gross production value per hectare is approximately €9,998, with variations between €9,339 and €11,082. Production costs average €6,220 per farm, with a distribution of 41.13% in variable costs and 58.87% in fixed costs.

Real-time data: how Cherries Tasmania Orchards optimises harvesting with AgPick

Tech management

05 Aug 2024

A detailed dashboard captures and uploads information in real time. AgPick promotes traceability by informing growers who has harvested their fruit, who is leading production and what quality problems can be attributed to the pickers.

In evidenza

Cherries from Peru: a new competitor in the global market

Markets

01 Apr 2025

Peru explores cherry production with the aim of entering the Chinese market before Chile. The first exports are expected as early as next season, but experts estimate up to 10 years for significant volumes.

How altitude influences sweet cherry quality: study on four cultivars

Quality

01 Apr 2025

Altitude changes the quality of cherries, affecting organic acids and phenolic compounds. A study in Turkey on four cultivars grown at 200 and 800 m revealed changes in the nutritional profile, improving flavour and antioxidant properties of the fruit.

Tag Popolari