Project update!
Earlier, we shared that PATS conducts an experiment at Tomatoworld. The goal? To identify insects in greenhouses and target those that pose a threat to crop health.
The experiment is currently still in its early stages, focusing on insect monitoring and connectivity mapping. Just recently, PATS lowered the device to better detect insects at different plant levels: from caterpillars near the base to bumblebees higher up around the flowers. Repositioning also helps assess how 5G signal strength to the device are affected by plant density.
Check out the video below, where bumblebees are detected (in the red circles). Are they orienting? Pollinating? Simply passing through? Although often overlooked, PATS is working to interpret bumblebee behaviour more precisely to eventually help optimise greenhouse environments. PATS observed a decrease in bumblebee activity through these images, which they were able to trace back to several colonies in the greenhouse reaching the end of their typical six-week life cycle.
Read more about the project here.