Harnessing Digital Innovation in Fruit Farming: Delphy demo event at Dé Appeldag 2025
On 3 July 2025, QuantiFarm made a strong appearance at Dé Appeldag, one of the Netherlands’ most prominent national gatherings for fruit growers. Nearly 2,000 visitors—farmers, advisors, researchers, and agribusiness representatives—came together to explore the latest technologies shaping the future of fruit cultivation.
A Strategic Choice for Greater Impact
Delphy hosted a demo event to showcase how digital tools like QMS-Water, Vigour Maps, and soil sensors can improve apple production. Recognising that these topics perfectly matched the interests of Dé Appeldag visitors, Delphy strategically chose to feature the demo within this major national event. The decision paid off, attracting a large and engaged audience, and sparking lively discussions about precision fruit farming.
Setting the Scene
The event took place at Van Haaften, a renowned fruit-growing, storing, and trading company, bringing together over 110 exhibitors in a vibrant indoor and outdoor setting. Delphy’s demo stand, positioned near the starting point of the guided orchard tours, became the hub for QuantiFarm. Large banners, touchscreen displays, and printed materials drew visitors in, ensuring the project’s presence was both visible and inviting.
Demonstrating Digital Solutions in Action
QuantiFarm featured in Tour 4, dedicated to precision farming and digitalisation—an ideal context for presenting Digital Agriculture Technologies (DATs) in action.
Each tour began with an introduction to QuantiFarm and its objectives, followed by a presentation of the fruit sector test case in the Netherlands. Using a touchscreen, the team demonstrated the toolkit, showing participants how data-driven tools can enhance efficiency and sustainability in orchard management.
In the orchard, visitors observed an automated drip irrigation system powered by QMS-Water, illustrating how real-time soil and water data can guide precise irrigation decisions. Aurea Imaging then demonstrated blossom and vigour mapping—digital tools that help farmers assess crop health and optimise inputs. Even without drone flights, tractor-mounted cameras provided valuable insights into crop conditions.
Tours concluded with a live demonstration of QMS-Water back at the Delphy stand, allowing participants to ask questions and explore the tool’s practical applications.
Engaging the Fruit-Growing Community
Throughout the day, the QuantiFarm stand buzzed with activity. Around 50 participants joined the guided tours, engaging directly with the digital tools, while many more stopped by to learn about the project’s broader goals.
To boost visibility further, Delphy ensured QuantiFarm featured prominently in Dé Appeldag’s communications. Two editorial articles—one introducing QuantiFarm and another focusing on QMS-Water—appeared in the event’s full-colour magazine, reaching 1,200 professionals across the sector.
Reflecting on Impact
The event proved a resounding success. Feedback from tours and evaluation forms highlighted growing interest in digital solutions for fruit farming. Many participants appreciated the focus on fruit production and expressed interest in exploring tools like the Recommendation Tool in greater detail.
By hosting the demo within Dé Appeldag, Delphy significantly increased QuantiFarm’s reach. Rather than a small, specialised event, this approach connected the project with the broader fruit-growing community, showcasing the real-world value of digital agriculture.
A Step Forward for Digital Farming
QuantiFarm’s presence at Dé Appeldag demonstrated how practical collaboration and hands-on demonstrations can accelerate the adoption of smart farming technologies. By bridging scientific innovation with on-the-ground practice, the project continues to empower growers and advisors, paving the way for a more data-driven, efficient, and sustainable future for European agriculture.
