In the blazing morning heat, Thai Sade is brushing the avocado trees he intends to pollinate artificially.
Situated on a moshav, a collective farm in central Israel, BloomX was set up by Mr Sade. He has stated that the tech firm has developed a method to pollinate crops just like bees do, but mechanically.
He states that they are not substituting bees, rather, they are presenting farmers with more effective pollination techniques and minimizing the requirement for business honeybees.
Approximately 3/4th of the crops grown worldwide to generate fruits or seeds for human use are reliant at least partially on pollinators. Of these, bees, both farmed honeybees and the more than 20,000 types of wild bees like bumble bees, are responsible for the bulk of the work.
In both the US and Europe, bees are estimated to be responsible for 75% of the pollination of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The remaining 25% is comprised of other insects, including wasps and butterflies.
Farmers have been adversely impacted by a drop in bee populations, which is a consequence of climates shifts, habitat destruction and the use of pesticides. The European honeybee is also being immensely impacted by varroa destructor, a parasitic mite.
BloomX's technology is now focusing on two different agricultural products - blueberries and avocados - and can promote pollination, even in cases where the amount of bees in an area is significantly low.
Robee, the main product of the firm, appears to be a large push-along lawnmower at first glance, with two mechanical arms protruding from either side.
Vibrations are used to stimulate blueberry plants and cause them to disperse their pollen. The intensity of the vibrations has been specifically crafted to assail the flowers in a manner which emulates that of bumble bees - the most effective pollinators of blueberries - who use their wings to shake the blooms.
BloomX offers "Crossbee", an apparatus which is portable and employed to transfer and distribute pollen that is viscous between avocado trees. So far, it has been put to use in South America, South Africa, Spain, the US and Israel, with BloomX asserting that it can induce a 30% rise in fruit production.
An AI-based software system controllable via a mobile phone app, as well as a GPS tool, is incorporated into both products, thus allowing farm workers to know which areas of a field have been cultivated.
Sensors can be installed to identify the best days for pollination.
California is a major player in the almond farming industry, bearer of 80% of the globe's total almond production. As a lucrative venture, the industry is estimated to generate a yearly revenue of $10.4bn (£8.3bn).
Fertilising the 1.3 million acres of trees in California requires trucking in honeybees from all around the US during the almond flowering season. Reports suggest that approximately 70% of commercial honeybees in the US are brought to the state for this purpose.
Lisa Wasko DeVetter, an associate professor of horticulture at Washington State University, asserts that the decrease in honeybees could lead to a scarcity of them elsewhere in America for other plants. Artificial pollination may be able to serve as a substitute.
She emphasizes the importance of pollinating almonds for beekeeper income in order to ensure their financial stability, while noting that the process of traveling may be detrimental to honey bee colonies.
Despite this, the presence of bees could be depleted if blooming seasons of other crops coincide with the California almond industry.
Other commentators have highlighted the high mortality rate of honeybees in almond fields, with beekeepers attributing it to exposure to pesticides and the overwhelming stress of having their hives moved thousands of miles.
Mr Sade claims that the intensive use of honeybees can prove detrimental to native wild bees, as they are competing for sustenance and can be exposed to illness.
Introducing some artificial pollination into the almond fields could lessen all these issues. This is the opinion of Eylam Ran who says, "we are forcing bees into places they'd rather not be in reality".
Mr Ram is the head of Edete, an Israeli tech firm that deals with artificial pollination.
The machinery used by this technology is able to gather and preserve pollen for extended periods without its deterioration. This is achieved through the development of specific machinery to both acquire and apply the pollen.
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Mr Ran states that they can supply the most suitable pollen to the flower at the most suitable time to ensure it is successful in impregnation. Furthermore, they are able to do this for apples, cherries, almonds, pistachios, and their machines fertilise with precision.
Edete's technology has been employed in California on pistachio fields and they have recently begun expanding their application to almonds.
Mr Ran expresses that the prevalence of industrial monoculture is doing harm to bees. He asserts, "It is not a beneficial atmosphere for insects; it is actually leading to their demise."
He emphasizes: "By not making bees gather from plants they wouldn't naturally pollinate, it will take the strain off of them, allowing them to continue to forage for food in the manner they would have without human interference, while we still get the produce we rely on."
Diane Drinkwater from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) insists that "if bee health and welfare are of the highest concern, then artificial pollination becomes unnecessary".
For millions of years, bees have been pollinating without payment, apart from the rewards provided by the flowers’ nectar. Nevertheless, some large scale agricultural operations necessitate migratory pollination, which generates income for commercial beekeepers.
The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) particularly advocates for honeybees, as they offer an incomparable pollinating service. By moving these bees to early-season crops, yields can be significantly increased. Furthermore, the honey they gather while pollinating is essential in providing nourishment for the honeybee population and in helping them survive winter.
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