A Total of Four Innovations Span the Full Arc of Modern Agricultural Technology, from Harvest Assessment to Crop Health Monitoring and Pollination
Khalifa University of Science and Technology today announced that it is presenting four innovations in the Second Emirates Agricultural Conference and Exhibition 2026, from 22 to 26 April 2026 at ADNEC Centre Al Ain.
Developed through the University’s research programs in collaboration with industrial partner SILAL, the four participating innovations include TouchRIPE, PollenMATIC, Plant AI, and AerialYield, each addressing a distinct challenge in agricultural productivity, food quality, and resource efficiency.聽
The Agricultural Conference and Exhibition serves as a strategic national platform bringing together farmers, investors, government agencies, research institutions, and industry experts to exchange knowledge and advance sustainable agriculture.
His Excellency Professor Ebrahim Al Hajri, President, Khalifa University, said: “Agriculture is central to the UAE’s food security agenda, and Khalifa University is committed to ensuring that our research contributes directly to this national priority. The innovations we are bringing to this conference were developed in the UAE, are designed for the conditions of this region, and reflect our belief that the path to food security runs through applied science and homegrown technology. We are proud to present these solutions and practical tools that serve the UAE’s agricultural sector and contribute to the country’s long-term food security objectives.鈥�
The four innovations span the full arc of modern agricultural technology, from harvest assessment to crop health monitoring and pollination. TouchRIPE, the UAE’s first fruit ripeness testing device with a , uses a wearable thumb-mounted sensor and embedded AI to assess fruit ripeness and firmness directly on the tree in seconds, without damaging the produce.
Plant AI brings AI-powered disease detection to greenhouse management, with a 98.5 percent accuracy rate across 10 plant types and an integrated dashboard for monitoring entire facilities in real time. Vision-language models trained on data from real farms and a multi-agent assistance system are among its advanced features.
PollenMATIC, developed as a joint startup with SILAL, offers growers an affordable handheld pollination device using vibration-based smart actuation technology, designed for crops including tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and cucumbers.
AerialYield, also developed in partnership with SILAL, uses drone-based scanning and AI ripeness detection to provide automated yield estimation and feed data into a smart greenhouse dashboard, giving growers a comprehensive picture of crop conditions across large growing areas.
Clarence Michael
English Editor – Specialist聽
