Mechanization

Allen Van Deynze receives $650,000 investment from NIFA to breed green chile peppers for mechanical harvesting

Allen Van Deynze, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of California, Davis, has received an investment of $650,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, for a project that will develop commercially competitive green chile peppers, like jalapeños, that are amenable to mechanical harvesting.

Taking a Byte Out of Big Data in Farming

Troy Magney, Dept. of Plant Sciences, is using methods such as hyperspectral imaging – a remote sensing technique – to measure plant water stress, nutrient status, biomass, and photosynthesis in order to make informed decisions about water and fertilizer management. This is important for global agriculture in the future.

Automated Weeders are Attracting More Interest: Steve Fennimore Explains

Three factors drive automation in vegetable crops: Employee shortages, availability of technology, and fewer new herbicides. Weed specialist Steve Fennimore, Plant Sciences, UC Davis and UC ANR, explains the importance of mechanization and robotic weeders, due, in part, to labor shortages and fewer herbicides.

Precooling Vegetables in California Production (video #16 of 26)

Cooling vegetables just after harvest prolongs shelf life and maintains quality. Most California vegetables are precooled before shipment using Cold air, Cold water, Ice, and/or Vacuum. Several of these were developed at UC Davis in the 1970s and 1980s in Plant Sciences, and in Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

Louise Ferguson Named President-Elect of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS)

Louise Ferguson, faculty member in Plant Sciences, UC Davis, and Cooperative Extension pomology specialist for California, is the new President-elect of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), a professional academic society. This appointment will be followed by a year as ASHS President and a year as Chairman of the ASHS Board of Directors.

Seed and Variety Improvement in Vegetable Production (video #9 of 26)

This video features Professors Kent Bradford and Diane Beckles, Research Scientist Roger Chetelat, and Ph.D. student Karin Albornoz from the Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis, and other plant breeding professionals. They address why breeding and seed production are so important for the vegetable industry.