The Foundation and the technological center present at the MWC the experience The Bio-Circular Harvest, which shows how hyperspectral scanning systems allow crops to be diagnosed to support farmers’ decision-making.
Visitors to the MWCapital stand can scan a real olive tree and learn the ripeness level of its fruit, the plant’s water stress level, and the infestation degree to promote a more sustainable and efficient production.
MWCapital and Leitat present at MWC26 The Bio-Circular Harvest, an experience that shows how technology is revolutionizing the agri-food sector. The installation features a hyperspectral scanning system that allows highly precise analysis of the different components of an olive tree planted at the Foundation’s stand. Visitors can perform a digital scan of the olive tree and visualize, in real time, key data for crop optimization.
The experience allows users to learn the fruit’s ripeness level, the plant’s water status, and the olive tree’s infestation level. This information helps farmers determine the optimal harvest time and act proactively if anomalies or possible diseases affecting the fruit are detected. By analyzing the crop’s physiological state, advanced readings are obtained that enable evidence-based decisions aimed at improving yield, reducing environmental impact, and opening new valorization pathways by identifying new products derived from the fruit or the plant.
Beyond diagnosing the olive tree, the experience also shows data on various alternative products that could be derived, such as cosmetics, food ingredients, biofuels, fertilizers, or value-added ingredients for other industries.
The experience allows understanding how, depending on the three indicators obtained from hyperspectral scanning, olive production may vary (generating more or less pomace, olives, or oil) and how this directly impacts the resulting products. In this way, a more efficient, sustainable, and circular agri-food model is highlighted.
Hyperspectral scanning, a technology for more sustainable production
Applying hyperspectral scanning allows farmers to monitor crops so that they experience moderate water stress without affecting oil yield. Studies indicate this can reduce water consumption by up to 35%. Additionally, controlling harvest timing optimizes oil extraction and preserves fruit quality. Studies show that harvesting olives at their optimal stage for oil production can increase yield by up to 20%.
Applied to the agri-food sector, this technology provides farmers with valuable information to obtain a precise diagnosis of the physiological state of fruits and plantations and make decisions to improve yield, reduce environmental impact, and open new valorization pathways.
The application of this technology in the agri-food sector provides information to generate more sustainable production processes and optimize output to address one of the great contemporary challenges: feeding a growing population. The United Nations estimates that the global population will increase from the current 8 billion people to 10.3 billion in the next 50 years.
From an environmental perspective, technologies like the one at the MWCapital stand, AI, or machine learning allow evaluating soil, climate, and crop images to detect outbreaks early, reducing chemical use and optimizing productivity.
Additionally, hyperspectral scanning provides strategic information to promote by-product valorization and reduce food waste. Through the application of valorization technologies under the biorefinery concept, it is possible to obtain new ingredients and value-added products for relevant industrial sectors. This strategy advances toward a sustainable, zero-waste agri-food model.
