Farma Ráječek: Pest and Disease Under Control
From the outset, Farma Ráječek has been a key partner for FRAVEBOT. The collaboration began three years ago, and since then, it has served as our primary testing farm. Matěj Sklenář, the main grower and co-founder of FRAVEBOT, recognized the potential of robotics to simplify daily tasks in the greenhouse.
At the start of the partnership, Farma Ráječek faced the challenge of obtaining timely updates on plant health and pinpointing pest hotspots across a diverse range of tomato varieties within a relatively small growing area. This need drove the development of the FRAVEBOT Cloud data platform, enabling the precise, real-time visualization of pest and disease detection.
Compact Yet Futuristic
Farma Ráječek is a family-owned farm with a rich tradition, located on the outskirts of Brno. It specializes in greenhouse production of high-quality tomatoes and strawberries for local markets. Currently, Ráječek’s greenhouse has the smallest area with the largest number of tomato varieties where the FRAVEBOT Scout has been deployed. This setup demonstrates the Scout’s capability to operate effectively across multiple varieties, delivering valuable insights.
In addition to its primary focus on pest and disease detection and reporting, the farm benefits from the Scout’s yield forecasting feature, which significantly reduces the labor-intensive process of managing diverse crop varieties. By the end of 2024, the development and testing of FRAVEye—an IoT device for automated monitoring of sticky traps—was successfully completed.
The Challenge:
Early Awareness of Developing Issues
At the beginning of the collaboration, the grower requested frequent reporting on plant health status and fruit defects. Farma Ráječek emphasizes the critical importance of early pathogen detection and precise localization to enable swift corrective actions. These measures ultimately help reduce pesticide use and improve fruit quality.
“It is unrealistic for a human scout to inspect every row in the greenhouse, and it is not economically viable either. Finding skilled professionals for plant monitoring is becoming increasingly difficult, and we observe significant variations in skill levels and commitment among green workers on carts. As a result, we cannot rely on subjective evaluations, as they lead to inconsistent outcomes,” says Josef Sklenář, the owner of Farma Ráječek.
The Solution:
Collaboration with FRAVEBOT Scout
The main task for FRAVEBOT in this case was to develop a solution that would provide actionable insights to support an integrated pest management strategy, favoring biological control over chemical control. This system needed to deliver accurate, real-time insights into plant health and enable the early detection of potential pest and disease infestations.
These requirements are shared by all growers, as there is constant pressure from retailers, government authorities, and end-consumers to tighten restrictions on the use of protective substances. To boost sustainability and move toward zero-pesticide growing, growers need to be equipped with technology that allows for low-risk cultivation.
Results:
Pest & Disease Under Control
In collaboration with Farma Ráječek, we developed a monitoring and real-time reporting system that provides precise location data on pest and disease symptoms. Throughout the growing season, image data was collected daily, enabling the development of algorithms to identify and track the occurrence and spread of emerging pathogens in the greenhouse. This allowed for timely interventions with minimal losses.
As a result, Farma Ráječek has effectively mitigated risks, significantly reduced pesticide use, and ensured healthier, more sustainable crops for the market, all thanks to the FRAVEBOT Scout.
Next Steps
In the 2025 season, we have planned the development of a new extension to the FRAVEBOT Scout, called FRAVE Mite, designed for biological control introduction and feeding. Since the Scout operates daily in the greenhouse, it can efficiently perform additional tasks, such as introducing predatory mites or feeding Macrolopus pygmaeus. This functionality aims to reduce labor costs and enhance the efficiency of biological control methods. FRAVE Mite is currently in the proof-of-concept stage and is scheduled for development in the first half of 2025.
