JEPCO forecasts fresh weight yield with just 15% error weeks ahead of harvest
At a glance:
JEPCO is a major supplier to retail, food manufacturers and the food service industry, and produces whole-head lettuce, salad onions and spring greens, as well as Multileaf lettuce on a full 52-week basis. It turned to Fotenix to help improve forecast accuracy for year-round supply, and succeeded in:
● Forecasting yield to within 15% of actual fresh weight.
● Reducing scouting time on selected lines.
● Detecting stress early to limit intervention and downgrades
JEPCO has been growing outstanding fresh produce since 1946, a core supplier to retail, food manufacturers and the food service industry. With continued investment in varietal development, agronomic practices, and sustainability, innovation is at the heart of the business.
The Challenge
In addition to field production of whole-head lettuce, salad onions and spring greens, JEPCO supplies Multileaf lettuce on a full 52-week basis from a deep water hydroponic system within a greenhouse environment, with a reputation built on quality and consistency. Year-round supply leaves little room for surprises: volumes have to be forecast accurately week after week, and any stress or disease has to be caught before it can impact yield. JEPCO wanted reliable yield projections weeks ahead of harvest, and early warning of stress and disease.
Our Solution
A Fotenix imaging rig mounted above a 2.5m x 12m test pool was installed. A gantry fixed to existing infrastructure and timer-operated, scans every plant as it passes above. Multispectral images are analysed by AI to flag stress early and forecast fresh weight, plant by plant.
The Impact
With Fotenix, JEPCO proved it could forecast fresh-weight yield to within 15% of actual fresh weight.
"Producing lettuce 52 weeks from a deep water system has many advantages over outdoor field production, but also some challenges.
As growers, frequent and regular crop inspection is essential if growing issues are to be identified early to enable appropriate intervention and ensure customers orders are met. But in deep water hydroponics crop inspection by walking is not practicable. The Fotenix system is a tool for growers to help manage their crops by the early identification of potential growing issues, report on crop health indicators and flag up potential crop shortages or surpluses.
The team at Fotenix have been supportive thoughout the development stages and JEPCO plan to incorporate the system in future expansions." JEPCO
Increasing forecasting accuracy allows growers to proactively plan volumes against supply commitments. JEPCO also successfully reduced scouting on selected lines, automatically checking every plant on every pass.
● Yield forecast accurate to within 15% of actual fresh weight.
● Reduced scouting time on selected lines.
● Stress detected early, limiting intervention and downgrades
Want to find out how Fotenix can help your farm run more efficiently, improve quality, and accurately plan volumes against supply commitments?
