Tropea Red Onion PGI: A Case Study on Impact Damage Using Artificial Intelligence

There are many varieties of onion in Italy, but the most known and appreciated is the Cipolla Rossa di Tropea Calabria PGI, which refers to the local ecotypes of Tondo Piatta (early ripening), Mezza Campana (mid-season) and Allungata (late ripening). The production area is located on the Tyrrhenian coast of northern Calabria and includes several municipalities in the provinces of Cosenza, Catanzaro and Vibo Valentia. It counts on a chain of 20 thousand tonnes of certified production with a consumer turnover of 60 million euros. Therefore, mechanical damage, which depends on several factors such as harvesting and post-harvest conditions, accelerates the deterioration of the product, besides damaging it aesthetically. Our research proposal focuses on interpretive techniques based on deep learning to identify deteriorating spring onions by distinguishing them from healthy ones.