Edete ascends: Adoption of new technology in agricultural market

• Published date: 23 April 2024
• Author: LIOR NOVIK
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

This quadrupled growth compared to the previous year reflects the adoption of new technology in the agricultural market characterized by conservatism due to the critical need for precise pollination solutions, especially as global climate changes disrupt natural pollination and lead to reduced yields

Pistachio growers face three main challenges regarding pollination: lack of synchronization in flowering time between male and female trees, low pollination rates, and relatively long sexual maturation of young male trees producing minimal pollen. To ensure fertilization, a sufficient amount of pollen from male flowering trees, carried by the wind at the right time, is required to reach the flowers on female trees. This process depends on the simultaneous flowering of male and female tree flowers, an event influenced by the number of cold hours the trees receive in winter. Fewer cold hours in winter increase the likelihood of asynchronous flowering of males and females. Moreover, extreme weather changes during the flowering season, such as severe heat or alternatively late rains, can affect pollination quality. Insufficient pollen production by male trees in the early years of young pistachio orchards can result in smaller yields than the optimal yield achievable in these orchards.

Edete's Precision Pollination as a Service (PPaS), based on the company's 2Be® pollination machine, which disperses high-quality pure pollen, has garnered significant interest in the agricultural sector due to its ability to increase yields and mitigate risks. Edete has successfully pollinated pistachio trees since 2021. During 2023, a peak year for pistachio cultivation in the United States, Edete's precision...