AINIA technological center and the Center for the Development and Innovation of the French Brittany have collaborated in the development of an action plan which will make it possible to know what the best moment is for the pumpkin harvest with greater accuracy.

In order to ensure a higher quality and a longer shelf life, researchers from AINIA have used Data Analytics (Artificial Intelligence applied to data analysis) to analyze data on the cultivation and preservation of pumpkins of the Red Kuri variety.

According to Walter Moncho, head for ICT projects at AINIA, "we have been able to analyze the data recorded in pumpkin fields of the French Brittany, obtaining results that will allow us to offer reliable advice regarding the best practices for the harvest. This will help minimize quality losses and maximize the yields."

So far, producers only had their experience to rely on for decision making, which made it difficult to plan the planting in an objective manner and to carry out the harvesting in a way that was adjusted to the demand. However, thanks to the Data Analytics technology, the harvesting schedule can be planned with greater accuracy, obtaining pumpkins at their optimum point of ripeness. In this way, the optimal quality parameters (sugar level and firmness) remain stable for as long as possible after the harvest.

AINIA has applied a specific methodology of data analysis that consists of six phases, in which the application of the most appropriate Artificial Intelligence technologies is established. A number of aspects are taken into account to obtain the desired ripeness, such as the relation between the color of the peduncle and the sugar levels at the time of the harvest, the degradation of the quality characteristics during the crops preservation and the impact of the weather conditions in this preservation.

"This system opens the door to a new agriculture, with greater productivity and efficiency in decision-making. Thanks to the results obtained, the producers will be able to improve their planning, and with that their profits. The pumpkins grown are also going to have a longer shelf life, making it possible to better meet the great market demand," said Walter Moncho.

This project has been developed within the framework of the European project RUC-APS.

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