High-tech device can help grapes thrive

A technology that physically examines grapes is helping the fruit to grow healthily and standardizing the planting process for growers.

Jiading-based Jianglian Internet Technology Co is applying spectroscopic techniques to planting.

“Traditionally agricultural workers make a judgment based on their experience,” said Feng Guanxiong, director of Jianglian. “In fact, many reasons could cause the plant to grow up in the wrong way. Without scientific guidance, decisions based on experience might be wrong.”

With a spectroscopic detecting machine, farmers are able to learn how well the grapes are growing by simply scanning the leaves.

Yao Xinfeng, of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, demonstrated the process at Youxian Fruit and Vegetable Planting Center. He held the device — smaller than a cellphone — to check.

The results that indicated the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, chlorophyll, water and other elements in the plant, from which the growing condition can be determined.

The data collected will be stored for subsequent analysis, comparison and modeling which in the end will be integrated to form a scientific standard for grape planting in the future.

The standard will be adopted to perform comprehensive and large-scale grape examination without any harm to the fruit.

Currently Jianglian has launched the work to gather traits of local grapes with the device. The project from data collecting to final modeling is expected to complete in years.