Edete, an Israeli agri-tech startup based in Basmat Tabun, has developed and provides precise pollination technology, expanding the pollinated areas in pistachio orchards in California to over 3,000 acres after receiving significant repeat orders from large customers as well as new ones.
This quadrupled growth compared to the previous year reflects the adoption of new technology in the agricultural market characterized by conservatism due to the critical need for precise pollination solutions, especially as global climate changes disrupt natural pollination and lead to reduced yields.
Pistachio growers face three main challenges regarding pollination: lack of synchronization in flowering time between male and female trees, low pollination rates, and relatively long sexual maturation of young male trees producing minimal pollen. To ensure fertilization, a sufficient amount of pollen from male flowering trees, carried by the wind at the right time, is required to reach the flowers on female trees. This process depends on the simultaneous flowering of male and female tree flowers, an event influenced by the number of cold hours the trees receive in winter. Fewer cold hours in winter increase the likelihood of asynchronous flowering of males and females. Moreover, extreme weather changes during the flowering season, such as severe heat or alternatively late rains, can affect pollination quality. Insufficient pollen production by male trees in the early years of young pistachio orchards can result in smaller yields than the optimal yield achievable in these orchards.
Edete's Precision Pollination as a Service (PPaS), based on the company's 2Be® pollination machine, which disperses high-quality pure pollen, has garnered significant interest in the agricultural sector due to its ability to increase yields and mitigate risks. Edete has successfully pollinated pistachio trees since 2021. During 2023, a peak year for pistachio cultivation in the United States, Edete's precision pollination services led to an average 19% increase in pistachio yields in California.
"Our rapid expansion of pistachio pollination areas in California reflects the growing momentum of Edete as a leader in precision agriculture," said Eylam Ran, CEO of Edete. "This achievement is part of our ongoing commitment to revolutionizing agricultural practices and ensuring sustainable food production. We are proud to see our technology making a significant impact on crop yields and fostering agricultural resilience."
Edete, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Basmat Tabun and Paso Robles, California, provides precise pollination services to pistachio and almond growers in California. Edete's primary clients are some of the largest pistachio and almond growers globally. The company has raised over $15 million since its inception and employs 15 staff members.
Among Edete's investors are six cooperative settlements - Kibbutz Yavne, Kibbutz Malkiya, Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetao, Kibbutz Eilon, Kibbutz Gesher Haziv, Kibbutz Ramat David, Moshav Yonatan, NevaTeam Partners, and private investors. The company's pollination services are based on unique technology developed in-house, including the establishment of a pollen bank preserved for over five years and an autonomous dispenser that disperses only pure pollen, loaded with an electrostatic charge, in controlled and accurate quantities.