Trial shows thermal reduction covers and continuous bee activity monitoring deliver yield, quality and environmental improvements
Leading fresh produce provider Dole UK and UK-based agri-tech firm AgriSound have announced the results of a collaborative data-led pilot study that explored how advanced growing materials affect pollination performance, and what that means for production outcomes at scale.
The study, which took place between April and October 2025 at Dole’s Future of Food research site in Langley, Kent, achieved up to 28 per cent higher yields at peak harvest and ”significantly improved fruit quality”, the groups noted.
The programme compared Iyris SecondSky thermal reduction polytunnel covers with standard industry plastic, using AgriSound’s Polly bioacoustic sensors to continuously monitor pollinator activity directly within the crop.
Over 42 sensors were deployed across commercial strawberry tunnels, the companies said, collecting high-resolution data on bee activity alongside temperature, humidity, and light conditions throughout the production season.
The pilot found that tunnels fitted with Iyris SecondSky covers delivered consistently stronger pollination performance; average bee activity was approximately four per cent higher across the season, with uplifts of 10-13 per cent during peak flowering; overall yield increased by three per cent overall yield, with berries showing higher average weight and increased Brix; and data collection costs were reduced by approximately 87 per cent and delivered a 91 per cent lower carbon footprint.
Dole and AgriSound said that the data also demonstrated that the Iyris covers helped to stabilise the tunnels’ microclimates, maintaining temperatures within optimal pollinator foraging ranges, even during heat events.
This reduced pollination disruption during periods of climatic stress and supported more consistent bee activity across rows and throughout the day.
Insights generated through the project will be used to inform future tunnel design, material selection, and pollination strategies across Dole-aligned farms, helping to ensure that innovations are not only agronomically effective but also supportive of pollinators and long-term sustainability.
“This project goes beyond testing a single material,” said Sarah Blanford, technical director at Dole UK.
|It gives us objective evidence of how our decisions affect pollinators, crop performance, and resilience under real commercial conditions.
“By working with AgriSound, we can move from assumption to evidence and use that insight to guide best practice across our wider grower network, ensuring that innovation delivers tangible benefits for productivity, quality, and the environment,” she explained.
Robin Wilson, pollination specialist at AgriSound, added: “Pollination underpins yield, fruit quality, and consistency, yet it is rarely measured directly.
”This project shows how making pollination visible allows growers and producer organisations to understand what is really happening in the crop.
“By combining sensor technology with commercial trials, we have turned pollination data into practical decisions, resulting in greater ROI for growers,” Wilson added.
”Working with Dole allows these insights to move beyond a single site and be applied across a much larger production footprint.”
