Innovations in blueberry growing can come from anywhere, including other agriculture commodities. Being able to take lessons from other farming disciplines is essential when researching and adopting new technologies for blueberries. In today’s episode, we sit down with two grape industry veterans for a conversation about how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in the blueberry industry.  

Hosts Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), and Rod Cook, industry veteran and chair of the Blueberry Technology and Innovation Committee, are joined by Mark DeSantis, CEO of Bloomfield Robotics, and Dennis Rak of Double A Vineyards and acting board chair of Welch’s. 

“How do we strip [artificial intelligence] down to the bare essentials to make it so ridiculously affordable, so that the cost of this is inconsequential?” - Mark DeSantis 

“The guys at Bloomfield made it pretty easy for me to use the data generated. Basically, they set up what they call a ‘dashboard,’ which allows me to go row by row and look at every plant in that row. They have the ability to count the plants in that row and to give me a percentage of how many of those plants are growing … it has been really easy to use that information.” - Dennis Rak

Topics covered include: 

• Key features of the Bloomfield Robotics autonomous vehicles and products.
• How Rak is using Bloomfield Robotics at his operation.
• Setting expectations for growers adopting AI solutions.
• Adapting AI technology crops other than grapes. 

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report will return in early January.