Mechanization

Jalapeños harvested by a mechanical harvester in a field.

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

  • by mmarcure
  • May 04, 2021

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.

Troy Magney, assistant professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, is just one of the researchers with the Smart Farm Big Idea who are working to turn agricultural data into comprehensible information for farmers.

Taking a Byte Out of Big Data in Farming

  • by Ann Filmer
  • February 06, 2020
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.
Steve Fennimore, Cooperative Extension specialist with the University of California, Davis, says automatic weeders like the Robovator shown here will help ease the shortage of skilled employees needed for hand weeding. (photo Steve Fennimore/UC Davis)

Automated Weeders are Attracting More Interest: Steve Fennimore Explains

  • by Ann Filmer
  • September 20, 2019
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.
Boxes of vegetables being ice-cooled prior to shipment

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

  • by Ann Filmer
  • August 27, 2019
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

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

  • by Ann Filmer
  • July 30, 2019
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.
Onions being grown for seeds production.

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

  • by Ann Filmer
  • July 15, 2019
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.
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