Osram infrared LED tells growers when to harvest crops

Osram has upped its game in the agricultural LED market, adding another near-infrared chip that reads the content of crops such as fruit or cereal to determine when they are ready for harvesting.
The new SFH 4736, part of Osram’s Oslon Black line, is designed to fit into a smartphone or tablet, and marks an improvement over Osram’s earlier SFH 4735 LED, which was positioned for the same horticultural niche. Like the 4735 and other similar Osram chips, the new LED deploys near-infrared spectroscopy. In the case of the 4736, the technology scans a grain or fruit to ascertain the amount of sugar, water, and fat. Growers use this information to determine whether the crops are ready or whether they require more time before harvest.