Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to Develop Innovative Approaches to Wild Blueberry Harvesting

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Nova Scotia has over 1,000 wild blueberry producers managing over 40,000 acres which generate over 40 million pounds of blueberries annually. Wild blueberries are the largest fruit crop in Nova Scotia and generates over 70 million dollars in annual exports. In order to maximize berry yield, growers are looking for innovative ways to improve the harvesting operation that normally begins in August and continues to late September. Frostbyte Interactive is a Nova Scotia based technology innovation company. Their division and brand Aerhyve, is currently focused in the growing field of precision agriculture, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to acquire data that can be turned into information. With industry support provided through the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, Frostbyte has been targeting systemic issues in the wild blueberry sector. Frostbyte would like to collaborate with NSCC's Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) to investigate the feasibility of applying spatial analytic tools to data collected from an UAV to increase the efficiency of blueberry production and harvesting. With the use of UAVs, aerial imagery of blueberry fields will be collected in early spring to measure pre-growth fields and again at peak canopy. The plant height will then be determined by taking the difference between the peak canopy cover and the original ground level. The plant height data can then be used to adjust the harvesting equipment as it moves across the field, thereby maximizing the yield of blueberries during harvest. In addition to plant height calculations, areas of bare ground will be identified and mapped to assess where blueberries are not growing. This identification has impacts on reducing pesticides and herbicides applications resulting in substantial cost savings to the grower.