Researchers in the Zhou Group at EI, in cooperation with Ely-based G’s Growers, have developed a machine learning platform, AirSurf-Lettuce, which works with computer vision and ultra-scale images taken from the air to help categorise lettuce crops in fields.
The advanced software includes measuring quantity, size and pinpointing location to help farmers harvest with precision and getting the crop to market in the most efficient possible way. Importantly, this technology can be applied to other crops, widening the scope for positive impact across the food chain.
Image: Transplanting lettuce at G’s Growers plantation field, near Ely, UK. Credit: G’s Growers.
Lettuce is big business, especially in East Anglia, with 122,000 tonnes produced in the UK each year. Up to 30% of yield can be lost due to inefficiencies in the growing process as well as harvest strategies, which, if made up, could provide a significant economic boost.
It’s very important that farmers and growers understand precisely when crops will become harvest-ready, so that they can set in motion the planning of logistics, trading and marketing their produce further along the chain.
