Case Study: How a Long-Time Almond Grower Boosted Productivity with SeeTree Technology

About Giacomazzi Brothers Nut Company

Dino Giacomazzi of the almond-producing company Giacomazzi Brothers is a 5th generation farmer. Luigi, Dino’s great-grandfather, immigrated from Switzerland’s Italian-speaking area and founded a farm in the California Central Valley in the late 1800s.?

Dino remains on that same farm to this day. He’s committed to continuing his family’s agricultural legacy by adopting technology to increase productivity, yield, and sustainability.?

The Challenge: Detecting Tree Stress Before it’s Too Late

Almond trees can experience stress for many different reasons. And while marginal tree stress can be healthy, excessive stress can be harmful.??

The primary causes of severe tree stress, especially in arid places like California’s Central Valley, are high temperatures and draughts, i.e heat stress.?

In the summer, when Central Valley temperatures hover between 34-37 degrees Celsius (93-97 Fahrenheit), early stress detection is vital. For several days throughout the summer the temperatures can spike even higher, exacting a heavy toll on almond tree health and almond quality. By detecting heat stress in its initial stages farmers can prevent avoid or mitigate heat stress issues by adjusting their irrigation methods.??

However, determining which trees are stressed is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Often, only at the end of the season, do growers recognize that not all trees are producing up to par. Even when trees are showing signs of stress, there’s no way to know the cause of it and it can easily be attributed to other factors. Measuring water stress in particular is time-consuming and difficult to do on a large scale.?

The Solution: Real-Time Tree Monitoring with SeeTree Technology??

SeeTree’s proprietary technology uses aerial and satellite imaging, ground collection tools, and data analytics. Dino and his team used it to identify which trees and areas were experiencing stress. With this knowledge, they could promptly adjust their practices to limit or eliminate orchard damage.?

Dino and other farmers receive SeeTree weekly updates that directly impact their day-to-day practices. For example, growers may need to change irrigation schedules to adapt to drought stress, sample specific trees to combat pests or infections or send scouts to hotspots to check for potential stress causes.?

SeeTree technology pinpoints issues such as:?

• Soil moisture and changes in soil type
• Diseases and pests
• Tree nutrition
• Irrigation system problems caused by soil changes
• Machine malfunctions

The SeeTree mobile app alerts farmers of pressing problems in real-time so they can immediately take action.

The Impact: Giving Growers the Gift of Advanced Knowledge

The ability to address tree health issues from the get-go can prevent disease spread and orchard decline.?

Through precise tree monitoring, growers can farm more efficiently. They’re able to know precisely how much to irrigate each tree and which areas to send scouts to for further investigation. As a result, they can reduce resource usage and labor costs.

Dino Giacomazzi shares SeeTree's impact on his farm,

“Whenever I get SeeTree hotspot alerts, I immediately go check or send one of my guys to scout it out. It could be a heat spike, irrigation malfunction, or any other reason causing the issue. Getting SeeTree’s immediate alert helps me farm better and take preventative measures to improve our bottom line and end of the season yield.”?

Mike Griffin of Blue Diamond Almond growers and industry veteran, adds,

“After forty-five years in the almond industry I don’t expect to be surprised by much, but the SeeTree group is a game-changer.?

[They] provide timely feedback, enabling growers to respond quickly to the needs of the orchard. When the SeeTree team discovers that growers need something more to succeed, they put their impressive minds together to build a tool that solves the problem.?

For now, they’re identifying individual tree problems with the ground and aerial monitoring and then following up with weekly satellite feedback to monitor progress. But it’s just the beginning. I expect to see many more innovations from this company—innovations that will eventually give us true precision agriculture.”