– SPONSORED CONTENT – Reliable and valid information about plant water status is a critical input variable for optimizing citrus orchard growth. Precisely managing citrus water stress during all phenological stages enables maximized production by: avoiding drought stress during flowering and fruit sets; achieving appropriate sugar levels; and maintaining fruit quality by, for example, avoiding peel creasing for example. Controlled water …

Western Growers (WG) is spearheading a Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) to accelerate harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, with a goal of automating 50 percent of harvest within 10 years. “For well over a decade, our members have struggled with a dwindling number of available workers. If we don’t come together as an industry to quickly and efficiently …

Every backyard gardener knows how hard it can be to tell when to water the plants. Multiply that by tens or hundreds of acres and it’s easy to see the challenges growers face keeping their crops healthy while managing water resources wisely. To determine water needs accurately, growers hand-pluck individual leaves from plants, put them in pressure chambers, and apply …

California Avocado Commission — Microirrigation systems (microsprinklers, drip emitters and drip tape) tend to provide better distribution/emission uniformity than other irrigation methods. However, the miniscule flow passages in these systems can become clogged and thus disrupt the uniformity of water applied to a crop. Late fall and winter are an ideal time to review irrigation systems for needed repairs or …

Recent heat waves have caused California’s energy grid to take a beating, which forced the California Independent System Operator, the entity that operates the state’s power grid, to institute rolling blackouts. How do California’s farmers and ranchers deal with energy uncertainty during times like this, when the intense heat demands an increase in irrigation? For many years, they have been working …

With support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Multistate Research Fund, researchers at 17 land-grant universities are working together to develop automated systems that work well for labor-intensive specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and nursery plants. A multi-state collaborative approach lifts the burden of research and development from a single specialty crop sector and spurs major …

For the fourth consecutive year, Certis USA, the leader in biopesticides, has donated $20,000 to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, Inc. (CRDF) to help fund the non-profit’s research aimed at finding a cure for Huanglongbing (HLB; citrus greening). The company’s successful “Certis for Citrus” program utilizes sales from their top citrus products to annually support CRDF’s mission.   The …

Why is this research needed? In 2005, a disease called Huanglongbing (HLB, citrus greening, was identified in Florida’s commercial citrus groves. The disease is caused by a bacterium that affects all citrus cultivars by disrupting the flow of nutrients from the source of production, to the site of use, causing tree decline. HLB weakens the root system, increases early fruit …

Have you seen a drone buzzing by in a park and wondered what all the fuss is about? These flying vehicles may seem like just an upgrade to the remote-controlled helicopters of yesteryear. But drones are receiving a lot of attention for good reasons. Drones can help people, including farmers and scientists, look at and analyze pretty much anything. When …