Food group Importaco has partnered with the UK’s AgriSound to gauge the impact of regenerative farming on pollination and crop performance in almond orchards
UK agri-tech firm AgriSound has launched a European field trial with Spain-based food group Importaco, with the aim of measuring how regenerative farming affects pollination and crop performance in almond orchards.
At two commercial production sites in Spain and Portugal, AgriSound’s Polly monitoring technology will capture “real-time data on bee activity, pollination performance and crop outcomes”, according to AgriSound.
“By directly linking pollinator performance to nut set, yield and quality, the trial aims to provide large-scale commercial evidence of how regenerative farming practices affect both biodiversity and productivity in tree nut crops,” the company stated. “More than 120 field sensors will be installed across the orchards, making it one of the most detailed pollination monitoring programmes currently underway in European almond production.”
AgriSound’s Polly devices are set to be deployed at two of Importaco’s almond productions sites in 2026, a 50ha orchard in Zurria, Spain and a 23ha site in Freixo, Portugal.
The trial will evaluate performance across four core areas: pollination performance (tracking bee activity, generating heatmaps, monitoring hive dynamics), crop outcomes (analysing nut set, yield and quality), biodiversity and regenerative impact (comparing pollinator activity across habitats), and operational insights (identifying underperforming orchard zones and linking pollinator activity directly to yield and quality improvements).
Sensor deployment is apparently tailored to Importaco’s orchard geometry to ensure complete spatial coverage, with devices positioned to avoid end-of-row microclimates, guaranteeing representative bloom monitoring across both edge and interior zones.
Casey Woodward, founder and CEO of AgriSound, commented: “Pollination is one of the most important, yet least measured, drivers of crop performance. By working with Importaco across both regenerative and conventional almond systems, this pilot allows us to directly link pollinator activity with real crop outcomes such as nut set, yield and quality.
“The goal is to generate robust, independent data that helps growers and food companies to understand where regenerative practices are delivering measurable benefits, while also demonstrating how precision monitoring can support more resilient and productive orchard systems at scale.”
Lucia Donnini, director of agricultural science at Importaco, added: “Importaco is committed to advancing sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices across our supply chains, and understanding the role of pollinators is a key part of that journey.
“Partnering with AgriSound gives us an exciting opportunity to apply vital monitoring technology to our almond orchards and generate the robust, data-driven insights needed to better understand how pollination influences both biodiversity and crop performance.”
