Picking strawberries takes speed, stamina, and skill. Can a robot do it? Professor David Slaughter, champion of the Smart Farm Big Idea, demonstrates how future farmers might employ emerging technology.
UC Davis professor and director of the Center for Watershed Sciences Jay Lund explains the important role UC Davis engineers will play in solving water problems that plague societies across the globe.
New technology has greatly enhanced the ability of plant breeders to feed the world’s growing population, while spearheading a new era of agriculture in harmony with nature and people. This concept is part of UC Davis’ Smart Farm Big Idea.
Having access to the genetic “roadmap” of the strawberry will help berry growers stave off diseases like Fusarium wilt, which can ravage strawberry fields, according to Steve Knapp, director of the Strawberry Breeding Program at UC Davis and part of the research team on the study.
“On the whole, it’s good news. But good news on water is only temporary in California,” said Jay Lund, professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Davis, and director of watershed sciences at the school. “In wet years, we have to prepare for dry years, and in dry years for wet years.”
New scientific research over the past few decades has taught us better ways to help struggling fish populations. Scientists throughout the state have determined that the water-only approach to helping fish favored by the State Water Board simply may not be the best solution.
UC Davis engineering professor Kurt Kornbluth has a knack for restoring vintage European cars. He has rebuilt hundreds of vehicles since he was in high school outside Detroit.
With robotics, computers and advanced genetics, researchers at the UC Davis and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have established a core set of genes that help plants metabolize nitrogen, the key to plant growth and crop yield.
Dairy farmers use fans and sprayers to cool cows in their barns, but there is a substantial need for better options. Existing systems use a lot of energy and water, which is costly for farmers. And climate change is raising temperatures and stressing California’s water supplies.
