Technology
California drone company releases beneficial insects
Drones and insects have a lot in common: spindly appendages, buzzing noises, flight – and the ability to significantly impact fruit and vegetable crops. A California startup company is pairing the two as a service... more »
Robotic strawberry harvester gathers $7.5M of investments
A total $7.5 million recently was invested in Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT), a developer of robotic farming equipment that includes the T-6 robotic strawberry harvester. Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley (YMVSV), the strategic business... more »
Rotating cross-arm trellis lowers blackberry costs
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) horticulturist Fumiomi Takeda of the Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, West Virginia, developed arotating cross-arm (RCA) trellis and cane-training system for floricane-fruiting blackberry—blackberry plants that produce harvestable fruit after the... more »
Arrigoni develops Protecta Ultra screen for stone fruit operations
Cultivation of cherries, kiwifruit, berry fruits or other stone fruits is one of the most complex, considering their sensitivity not only to insect pest and bird attack but also to cracking and fruit rot in... more »
Michigan Horticultural Society to auction tractor at GLEXPO
The Michigan State Horticultural Society (MSHS) will auction a 1956 International Harvester Cub during the 2019 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO, Dec. 10-12. Proceeds from the auction will go toward the society’s... more »
John Deere opens new Intelligent Solutions Group facility in Iowa
John Deere recently opened its new Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) facility in central Iowa. The 134,000 square-foot facility in Urbandale is devoted to problem solving with technology, collaboration, testing and development for John Deere precision... more »
Convertible cover for protected apple cultivation unveiled
What is a way of protecting apple cultivation from pests and fungal diseases while reducing the use of pesticides as much as possible? Researchers at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands may have developed an... more »
Protecting vineyards from birds with drones is study topic
Aerial drones could eventually help Washington growers recoup some of the $80 million a year in crop damages caused by birds. That’s according to a study by Washington State University scientists published earlier this year... more »
