Smart Fruit Growing Through Digital Twin Paradigm: Systematic Review and Technology Gap Analysis

This article provides a systematic review of innovations in smart fruit-growing. The research aims to highlight the technological gap and define the optimal studies in the near future moving toward smart fruit-growing based on a systematic review of literature for the period 2021–2022. The research object is the technological gap until the smart fruit-growing. The research question of the systematic review was related to understanding the current application of vehicles, IoT, satellites, artificial intelligence, and digital twins, as well as active studies in these directions. The authors used the PRISMA 2020 approach to select and synthesise the relevant literature. The Scopus database was applied as an information source for the systematic review, completed from 10 May to 14 August 2022. Forty-three scientific articles were included in the study. As a result, the technology gap analysis was completed to highlight the current studies and the research trends in the near future moving toward smart fruit-growing. The proposed material will be useful background information for leaders and researchers working in smart agriculture and horticulture to make their strategic decisions considering future challenges and to optimise orchard management or study directions. Considering the current challenges, authors advise paying attention to decision-making, expert, and recommendation systems through the digital twin paradigm. This study will help the scientific community plan future studies optimising research to accelerate the transfer to new smart fruit-growing technologies as it is not sufficient to develop an innovation, but it must be done at the appropriate time.