Water, of course, is the focus, followed closely by input management.
Department Chair Raul Piedrahita began the afternoon-long conference by noting most of the new, drought-driven field technology is:
- Targeted to winegrapes, almonds and other high-value permanent crops, as well as high-volume field crops, such as processing tomatoes
- Rapidly evolving with declining parts costs
- Part of “cyberphysical systems” with decision-support tools
- In commercial development, usually via faculty-owned LLCs
Precision Irrigation — Beyond microsprinklers, Prof. Michael Delwiche outlined his Stem Water Potential system, which uses wireless leaf sensors to communicate air and plant temperature, wind speed, humidity and other factors through a field network, and adjust irrigation by row or other subdivision. Cost is about $350 per “node” for 50 plants at a density of 75 per acre. Delwiche said the system works with 22 data points from the plant, rather than the roots. It is also ideal for nurseries, as it minimizes runoff.
Inputs (Fertilizer & Pesticide) — This same precision irrigation measurement and flow adjustment technology enables variable fertilizer concentrations to be delivered according to the needs of each plant, or row, or subsection, said Prof. Stavros Vougioukas. Pesticide application, both from advanced tractor and drone-mounted sprayers, is being designed for “irregular fields, such as vineyards,” he said. Design is “moving very fast” on nozzles with super-quick aperture control that minimizes overlap, prevents drift, permitting much smaller buffer zones. Drone application won’t be available until 2015 at the earliest, due to FAA licensing difficulties, he said.
Canopy Analysis & Yield Management — Measuring and understanding light absorption data, said Prof. Shrini Upadhyaya, coupled with decision-support tools and an integrated suite of sensors, can decrease overall input costs and increase yields. It begins by deploying drones and tractor-mount devices to measure, respectively, reflected and absorbed light. The levels of light are used to calculate irrigation, pesticide, fumigant and nutrient needs on a seasonal basis. “It’s about the right input in the right place at the right time,” he said. Winegrapes, he said, require more adjustments, “because they are complex, and it’s more than yield.”
Weeds — Developed primarily for field row crops, Prof. David Slaughter’s organic weeding system uses GPS and on-board sensors to manage and map row crop planting in a 3-row simultaneous planting apparatus. After optical encoding using “hyperspectral” technology and equipping the apparatus with sophisticated scissors that travel just under the soil, the machine can cut off weeds within 2 centimeters of the plant with, according to Slaughter, a 0.5% plant mortality and a 50% savings in hand-weeding costs. With modifications, it could be adapted to orchards and vineyards, he said.
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