Schlachters’ Field Day: Focus on drone technology and fire blight
At the field day organised by the Schlachters research station for pomiculture (HSWT) in early July, the focus was on modern drone technology and the current critical situation regarding fire blight in fruit growing.
Numerous trade visitors, including many young people with an interest in the subject, took the opportunity to find out about current research projects and practical experience. The programme included guided tours of various stations on the site and a presentation on the use of drones in fruit growing by Anatolij Brilz of SkyHawk Brilz Technologies. The event was chaired by Michael Zoth, the research station’s scientific coordinator.
The fire blight situation in the Lindau area was assessed as very serious by expert Karin Wudler from the Augsburg Office for Food, Agriculture and Forestry. According to the Fruit Growing Advisory Service, there were widespread infections of blossoms and fruit in 2026; in two cases, apple orchards even had to be grubbed up. The ‘Wellant’ variety proved particularly susceptible and its assessment is increasingly viewed as a cause for concern in at-risk regions.
In the experimental station’s variety garden, fire blight symptoms were detected in 79 out of 183 apple genotypes. At the same time, however, resistant genotypes were identified in pears, which are now being used for further breeding research.
Further presentations focused on plant protection, fruit thinning and resilient cultivation systems.
The ‘ResiObst’ project combines robust apple varieties with modern training systems to make fruit growing more resilient to diseases and climate stress.
The field day was rounded off with reports on the promotion of beneficial insects and on the HSWT’s ongoing apple allergy project, which is investigating the tolerability of various apple varieties. The results show that the level of the allergen Mal d1 can vary significantly; however, no link to specific cultivation practices has yet been established.
Drone technology also attracted a great deal of interest. Amongst other things, the DJI Agras T100 – the largest agricultural drone approved in Europe – was presented. It can carry a payload of up to 100 kilograms and is suitable for applying both liquid and solid substances. Whilst drones are not yet authorised for plant protection applications in fruit growing, the technology is already being used in viticulture and forestry. Practitioners see great potential in drones for greater precision, reduced soil compaction and more efficient workflows.
-
The scientific director of the research station, Prof. Dr Dominikus Kittemann, provides information about the relaunched ResiObst project -
The use of drones could also be of interest to the fruit-growing sector. © Franziska Reinhard -
Research coordinator Michael Zoth presents the results of the fruit-thinning trials © Franziska Reinhard
