Fruit Sizing in Orchard: A Review from Caliper to Machine Vision with Deep Learning

Abstract

Forward estimates of harvest load require information on fruit size as well as number. The task of sizing fruit and vegetables has been automated in the packhouse, progressing from mechanical methods to machine vision over the last three decades. This shift is now occurring for size assessment of fruit on trees, i.e., in the orchard. This review focuses on: (i) allometric relationships between fruit weight and lineal dimensions; (ii) measurement of fruit lineal dimensions with traditional tools; (iii) measurement of fruit lineal dimensions with machine vision, with attention to the issues of depth measurement and recognition of occluded fruit; (iv) sampling strategies; and (v) forward prediction of fruit size (at harvest). Commercially available capability for in-orchard fruit sizing is summarized, and further developments of in-orchard fruit sizing by machine vision are anticipated.