Innovating Together in the Orchard

Mark Verstegen (VOF Verstegen, Opijnen) is known for leading the way rather than waiting around. On his 45-hectare fruit farm, he continuously looks for ways to make crop management decisions sharper, more efficient, and smarter. With the BBLeap LeapBox and LeapEye camera system on his HSS sprayer, he already has 100% control over his dosages and tree profiles. But for Mark, innovation doesn’t stop there.

“BBLeap gives me the tools to truly take control. As a grower, you see opportunities and challenges right in the orchard. The great thing about BBLeap is that you’re not locked into a closed solution, but that they genuinely listen when you come up with a new idea to test together.”— Mark Verstegen

The New Idea: Managing Tree Vigour in Pear Cultivation

During the season, Mark noticed clear variation across his block: one tree grows vigorously, while the tree right next to it lags behind.

• Weak trees (low vigour): Often loaded with too many small pears. The tree lacks the energy to size them up, resulting in many undersized fruits (which yield little to no value) and high manual thinning costs.

• Strong trees (high vigour): Channel their energy mainly into wood and foliage, which can cause poorer fruit set.

Mark devised a targeted approach: Why not apply site-specific thinning sprays on weak trees and fruit-setting sprays on strong trees early in spring?

The Approach: From Growth Scan to Task Map

Because trees are freshly pruned as blossom begins, measuring real-time canopy growth at that moment isn’t possible. Mark therefore came up with the idea to drive through the orchard with the LeapEye cameras before pruning.

1. Scan Growth Biomass: The camera captures the exact length and mass of the grown branches.
2. Generate Task Map: Since trees are pruned back to the same point every year, that scan accurately reflects the vigour of each individual tree. This data is then converted into a clear task map.
3. Targeted Spraying: In spring, the sprayer automatically executes the application via GPS: fruit-setting sprays on strong growers and thinning sprays on weaker trees.

What Does Mark Expect to Gain?

The goal of this trial is not just a higher yield, but above all a significantly higher return per hectare:

• More Class-1 Fruit: Small pears sometimes fetch as little as €0.20, whereas optimal sizing reaches close to a euro. By thinning weak trees early, nutrients go toward larger, higher-value pears.

• Drastic Savings on Hand Thinning: Manual thinning easily costs €25 per hour and can take up to 200 hours per hectare. “If precision spraying lets us cut 200 hours down to 50 hours per hectare, you gain a massive advantage straight away,” says Mark.

• Faster and Cheaper Picking: Large pears pick much faster than small ones. The bin fills up quicker, lowering picking costs per kilogram.

• A More Homogeneous Orchard: In the longer term, weaker trees recover better because they aren’t overloaded, making the entire block more uniform and productive.

Got an Idea for Your Orchard Too?

At BBLeap, we believe the best innovations start on the tractor and in the orchard. Mark Verstegen shows how a smart idea from the field serves as the starting point to test new applications together for better crop management and higher returns.

Do you have a specific crop challenge, a clever idea, or want to discuss what’s possible on your farm? Our doors are open to build the future of farming together.

Get in touch with us for an advisory talk or come test your idea with us!

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