The future of fruit and vegetable production —along with post-harvest management— will be in the spotlight at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2026 with the FRUTIC Scientific Symposium, taking place on 6 February 2026, from 10:00 to 14:30, on the Farming Forward stage.
Organised in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), this year’s symposium will explore how robotics, imaging technologies, sensor networks and data-driven decision-support tools are transforming fresh produce supply chains worldwide.
Under the theme “Farming Forward: Science for Sustainable Fruit Production”, leading experts, researchers and network representatives will present groundbreaking advances and applied solutions designed to enhance resource efficiency, climate-stress resilience and post-harvest quality.
The event will feature four thematic sessions, a series of short poster pitches, and opportunities for networking and collaboration between research and industry.
Session 1: Alliance for fruit growing, viticulture and vegetable production
Moderated by Manuela Zude-Sasse (ATB, Germany)
This session presents new research alliances driving innovation in fruit production.
Henryk Flachowsky (JKI, Germany) will introduce new sensor-based methods for detecting flower bud development and tolerance to water stress.
Frederik Kurz (Laimburg Research Centre, Italy) will highlight AI-assisted pruning technologies.
Angelo Zanella (Laimburg Research Centre, Italy) will present advances in controlled-atmosphere storage.
Nico Tapia Zapata (ATB, Germany) will discuss the impact of temperature on tomato shelf life.
Session 2: Hyperspectral tools and fruit quality prediction
Moderated by Reza Ehsani (University of California, Merced, USA)
This session focuses on the use of spectral imaging and sensors to optimise yield and quality.
George Manganaris (Cyprus University of Technology) will explore how agrivoltaic and netting systems affect raspberry quality and yield.
Atsushi Hashimoto (Mie University, Japan) will present image-based monitoring of citrus growth.
Norhashila Hashim (Universiti Putra Malaysia) will introduce AI-integrated hyperspectral detection for mango disease prevention.
José Blasco (IVIA, Spain) will discuss hyperspectral prediction of loquat quality at harvest.
Session 3: FruitCREWS – Smart irrigation and water management
Moderated by Brunella Morandi (University of Bologna, Italy)
This session presents key findings from the FruitCREWS COST Action, which promotes sensor-based monitoring and decision-support systems for irrigation.
Pasquale Losciale (University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Italy) will cover sensor-based monitoring of tree water status.
Martin Mészáros (Holovousy Research and Breeding Institute, Czech Republic) will analyse irrigation scheduling in fruit crops.
Kathy Steppe (Ghent University, Belgium) will explain sensor data interpretation using plant models.
Alon Ben-Gal (Volcani Institute, Israel) will present decision-support tools for precision irrigation.
Session 4: Post-harvest technologies and quality optimisation
Moderated by Helene Fotouo Makouate (ATB, Germany)
This final session explores digitalisation and robotics for improving post-harvest quality.
Reza Ehsani (University of California, Merced) will introduce an autonomous robotic platform for leaf-level detection.
Amnon Lichter (Volcani Institute, Israel) will present ethanol-based approaches to extend fruit shelf life.
RELATED NEWS: FRUIT LOGISTICA Innovation Award – Application deadline extended to 7 November 2025
Angelos Deltsidis (University of Georgia, USA) will analyse NIR spectroscopy for peach maturity classification.
Tuany Hoffmann (ATB, Germany) will showcase SensorTwin, a multiparametric system for optimising cold storage.
Poster presentations: innovation in action
Complementing the oral sessions, short presentations will showcase applied research from around the world, including:
cold storage management (Kompetenzzentrum Obstbau Bodensee, Germany),
tree architecture (Plant & Food, New Zealand),
automation in drip irrigation systems (Universiti Putra Malaysia),
solar drying and ohmic heating technologies (Universiti Putra Malaysia),
long-term monitoring of chlorophyll fluorescence in apples (FRUIT-GUARD®, Germany),
3D imaging for digital quality tracking (ATB, Germany),
aerial pattern analysis with drones and variable-rate spraying systems (Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain; Shanghai Institute of Technology, China).
A platform for collaboration and innovation
By bringing together top-level scientists, technology developers and industry stakeholders, the FRUTIC Scientific Symposium at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2026 offers a unique platform to exchange knowledge and foster partnerships for a more resilient, efficient and sustainable horticultural sector.
