soft fruit

Asked about the warnings over potential drought conditions, she said that she, like all good soft fruit growers, have irrigation systems in place to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and to ensure their crops get a steady supply with water.

Soft fruit and vegetable production, mainly based in the south and east of the country, often requires large volumes of water to irrigate crops.

"We've worked with everything from soft fruit to salad greens, clearing beds and keeping crops out of the compost heap," said Holtam.

Opossums, raccoons, rats and mice all like to feast on the soft fruit and can climb the tree to get it.

When applied to the surface of a prosthetic arm or a robotic limb, the sensor skin provides touch sensitivity and dexterity, enabling tasks that can be difficult for machines such as picking up a piece of soft fruit.