Eyal, part of the Granot Organization, the largest regional agricultural cooperative in Israel. At Eyal, hundreds of tech-savvy growers and field operators cultivate over 500 acres of various field crops, including nectarines, persimmons, and avocados. These forward-thinking growers are constantly exploring new technologies to enhance productivity sustainably, incorporating several climate-smart strategies into their operations, such as regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, precision agriculture, water conservation technologies and renewable energy.

BloomX Collaboration with Kibbutz Eyal

BloomX’s innovative pollination technology fits seamlessly with Eyal’s tech-driven and sustainable agricultural practices. Recently, avocado growers noticed a decline in honey bee activity due to rising temperatures – a key factor in reduced pollination and lower productivity. Compounding this issue, honey bees are not natural pollinators for avocados; they avoid Hass flowers, which contain high potassium levels. As Hass is a favored avocado variety, this presents a significant challenge for growers.

The Challenge

Ofri Yongerman-Sela, one of Eyal’s avocado growers, recognized this problem early on. During one particularly hot summer, he noticed that no honey bees were foraging in his orchard for nearly two weeks. Concerned, he began searching for a solution that could ensure consistent pollination, even under unfavorable conditions.

This led him to BloomX’s pollination technology that uses predictive algorithms and robotic tools to replicate natural pollination, improving yield and fruit quality. The AI-based models predict the daily pollination windows for male and female flowers, allowing field operators to use robotic tools and control the pollination process, even under adverse conditions.

The collaboration began as a pilot, with Yungerman-Sela testing BloomX technology in 2020 on a 1-hectare plot. The results were promising, leading to an expansion to 18 hectares by 2023. BloomX’s system includes the YAHAV 1400 Collector Device, which uses electrostatic charges to extract pollen from male-blooming avocado flowers and store it for up to 24 hours, without harming its viability. The pollen is then redeployed using the YAHAV 1400 Deployer Device during the female flower’s receptive phase, ensuring precise and efficient cross-pollination.

The key objective for success was to achieve at least a 10% increase in productivity. In addition, BloomX and the grower tracked the rise in the number of premium fruits, although no specific KPI was initially assigned to this metric.

Two years analysis of 2022-2023, Total yield Ton/Ha

Two years analysis of 2022-2023, Fruit size

Traditionally, growers have relied solely on honey bees without considering alternative methods. The success of the partnership with Eyal has helped demonstrate the benefits of BloomX’s technology, paving the way for wider adoption across the agricultural sector.