In 2003 we began field testing our infrared laser product in the Florida citrus
market. The collected laser data provides a record at 2.5 feet intervals for 5 categories
of height and density of citrus foliage. The data is geo-referenced and has proven
to have multiple uses in the management of citrus groves. Our Foliage Mapper product
was commercialized in 2005. A large citrus grower in Florida tested our system on
4,500 acres and expanded the utilization to all of their planted acres the following
year. In today's challenging environment the data provided by this application has
helped our client to steer their operations towards maximal loss reduction and profitability.
Currently our client uses the data not only for foliar inventory but crop and tree
insurance, governmental crop inventory requests, and fruit estimation. We have developed
additional functionality with Foliage Mapper such as a unique row identification,
linear foot calculation and biomass matrix that provides our client with additional
tools resulting in increased efficiency and reduced input costs for their grove
operations.
This valuable product will be the foundation of all citrus grove management and
we are exploring uses in other perennial crops. In 2010 we will begin marketing
our newly developed infrared laser system which will increase the amount of data
collected. Our new system will collect a geo-referenced record of height and density
at a 6 inch resolution providing our clients with a detailed map of their grove.
This system consists of our proprietary software system that runs on a commercially
developed infrared laser. Using a commercial laser allow us to market a cost effective
product without the additional capital investment of developing a piece of hardware
that will have a limited marketing life. As new generations of lasers are developed
we will be able to modify our proprietary software operating system and continue
to provide our clients with a cost effective product.