Fruit Tech 2023 is a 2-phase project which focus on reducing the gap in technology adoption and providing solutions to overcome barriers in technology adoption by fruit growers. In monitoring pest and diseases and to make decisions on pest and disease management, most of the fruit growers rely on monitoring traps on farms and observations, which shows a gap in technology adoption. Adopting technology in monitoring pests and diseases will not only simplify the process but also provide accurate and consistent results. Apps are available in the market to monitor pest and diseases, however, the need of internet reception, complexities in usage and lack of training options are the main barriers faced by farmers in using these apps on-farm. An app with offline options with backup support and training will be ideal as a solution to overcome these barriers.
FGV has developed a mobile app “GrowFruit” which captures pest and disease monitoring data, provides spray and other treatment requirements and date predictions based on known life cycle and weather and allows logging of treatments provided. The app is currently being used by apple, pear, stone fruit and cherry growers. With the aim of increasing this technology adoption by fruit growers, FGV need to aware the growers about the different features of the app and train them how to use it. However, training the growers one by one or gathering them to a one place for a training session can prove difficult.
Therefore, in phase 1 of this project, FGV has created an introductory video and six informative tutorials for the GrowFruit app, shared with over 300 users via Vimeo, resulting in 952 views and 15.6K impressions as of 31 October 2024.
In phase 2 of the project, FGV has launched a dedicated landing page for the GrowFruit app, featuring embedded video tutorials and an app download option: https://growfruit.com.au/. Users can access crop monitoring reports, including all trapping and monitoring data for their selected farms.
Furthermore, FGV has invested in a web version of GrowFruit, enabling growers to easily set up farms and traps on a widescreen interface while accessing crop monitoring reports. FGV website has been upgraded to include more training resources, aimed specifically at fruit growers looking to adopt technology. The FGV Fruit Tech web page provides tools, guides, and resources to assist growers in their technology adoption journey: https://www.fgv.com.au/resources/technology/fruit-tech .
FGV will continue to manage and enhance the fruit tech webpage, which will feature case studies, factsheets, and links to useful information, helping growers and stakeholders stay informed about the latest technologies in the fruit industry.
