The FRUTIC Science Symposium was held on Friday, 6 February 2026, at Messe Berlin, as part of FRUIT LOGISTICA. Organised by FRUIT LOGISTICA in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), the event brought together researchers and practitioners to discuss recent advances in fruit production, sensing technologies, irrigation, and postharvest management.
FruitCREWS was prominently represented at the symposium, highlighting the COST Action’s active role in advancing knowledge on fruit crop water relations and irrigation decision-support tools.
FruitCREWS Session
A dedicated FruitCREWS session was chaired by Prof. Brunella Morandi (University of Bologna, Italy), Chair of the FruitCREWS COST Action. The session showcased how physiological knowledge, sensing technologies, and modelling approaches can be combined to support more sustainable irrigation management in fruit crops.
Pasquale Losciale (University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Italy) presented “Physiological variables and sensing technology to detect tree water status and its functionality: the synergistic experience of the FruitCREWS COST Action”, highlighting integrated approaches developed within the Action. Kathy Steppe (Ghent University, Belgium) followed with “Interpreting sensor data with plant models to guide irrigation scheduling in fruit trees”, focusing on linking sensor data with plant-based models for improved irrigation decisions. The session concluded with a presentation by Alon Ben-Gal (Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Israel) entitled “Decision-support tools for irrigation of fruit tree crops”, addressing practical tools that translate data into actionable guidance for growers.
FruitCREWS Beyond the Dedicated Session
FruitCREWS members also contributed to other parts of the programme. George Manganaris (Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus) presented “The application of agrivoltaics and netting on yield efficiency, qualitative attributes and secondary metabolism of raspberry” within the session on hyperspectral tools and fruit quality prediction. The symposium was organised in close cooperation between FRUIT LOGISTICA and ATB, with Dr. Manuela Zude-Sasse (ATB), a member of the FruitCREWS network, playing a key role in the organisation of the event.
Strengthening Exchange at FRUIT LOGISTICA
FruitCREWS participation in the FRUTIC Science Symposium at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2026 underlined the Action’s commitment to scientific exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and engagement with the wider fruit research and innovation community.
