AgriSound of York to measure almond orchard pollination

The 2026 bloom season pilot will see AgriSound’s Polly TM monitoring technology deployed across two commercial almond production sites in Spain and Portugal, capturing real-time data on bee activity, pollination performance and crop outcomes.

The project with Importaco, specialises in the production, processing and distribution of nuts, dried fruit and mineral water, is developed in line with the company’s commitment to promoting agricultural practices aimed at protecting biodiversity.

By directly linking pollinator performance to nut set, yield and quality the trial aims to provide large-scale commercial evidence of how regenerative farming practices affect both biodiversity and productivity in tree nut crops.

RECOMMENDED READING:
AgriSound reports crop yield boost in Dole fruit study

More than 120 field sensors will be installed across the orchards, making it one of the most detailed pollination monitoring programmes currently underway in European almond production.

AgriSound’s PollyTM monitoring devices will be deployed to two of Importaco’s almond productions sites; Zurria, Spain, a 50-hectare orchard, and Freixo, Portugal, a 23-hectare site.

The trial will evaluate performance across four core areas: Pollination performance – tracking hourly bee activity; Crop outcomes – analysing nut set, yield and quality; Biodiversity and regenerative impact and operational insights – identifying underperforming orchard zones and linking pollinator activity directly to yield and quality improvements.

Sensor deployment has been tailored to Importaco’s orchard geometry to ensure complete coverage, which will also include positioning the devices to avoid end-of-row microclimates, ensuring representative bloom monitoring across both edge and interior zones.

Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, said: “Pollination is one of the most important, yet least measured, drivers of crop performance. By working with Importaco across both regenerative and conventional almond systems, this pilot allows us to directly link pollinator activity with real crop outcomes such as nut set, yield and quality.

“The goal is to generate robust, independent data that helps growers and food companies to understand where regenerative practices are delivering measurable benefits, while also demonstrating how precision monitoring can support more resilient and productive orchard systems at scale.”

Lucia Donnini, Director of Agricultural science at Importaco, added: “Importaco is committed to advancing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices across our supply chains, and understanding the role of pollinators is a key part of that journey.

“Partnering with AgriSound gives us an exciting opportunity to apply vital monitoring technology to our almond orchards and generate the robust, data-driven insights needed to better understand how pollination influences both biodiversity and crop performance.

“We’re looking forward to working together to demonstrate how innovation can support healthier ecosystems while delivering strong outcomes for growers and food production.”