Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems | 7410 - General technology | 2020 - Engineering | 50% |
| 402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment | 5310 - Machinery and equipment | 2020 - Engineering | 40% |
| 205 - Plant Management Systems | 2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops | 1060 - Biology (whole systems) | 10% |
The steady increase in global competition and the recent decrease in available labor, especially skilled labor, have increased the need for new technologies. The specialty crop industry in the United States faces significant challenges if it wishes to remain competitive, and production efficiency is critical to keeping the specialty crop industry thriving. A system-wide approach to developing automation for the specialty crop industry is critically needed in order to address economic and environmental sustainability challenges. The proposed five-year project will address research and outreach needs for the specialty crop industry in these areas: working with researchers, manufacturers, and producers. Approval of this project will allow researchers and industrial partners to share their results and plan future efforts in a coordinated effort, which will help reduce redundancies and promote better use of expertise.
Multiple Crop and Cross Platform Integration: A key and continuing theme in this project is a two dimensional integration of research activities, theintegration from the adaptation of biological concepts to measurable parameters through the commercialization of new products, and, the integration within each objective among different specialty crops. Although the objectives seem sequential in execution, we anticipate a swirl of concurrent activities centered about and driven by the needs of individual specialty crop growers for automation of growing, harvesting and postharvest operations. A major task for the project leadership is to facilitate communication and collaboration among the members of this project, and between project members and other stakeholders in specialty crop agriculture.
Target Audience
Specialty crop producers, agricultural equipment manufacturers and technology providers who are seeking new solutions to improve specialty crop production and efficiency. Because of the user-centered research nature of this project, the end-users of developed technologies, as well as fellow researchers and general public in Pacific Northwest (PNW) region, are included in our research outcome disseminating group, with frequent communications to get feedback from them.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
The WSU team formed a trans-disciplinary research and extension team, consisting of engineers, computer scientists, horticulturists, economists and extension specialists, who are affiliated with the WSU Center for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems (CPAAS). A total of 11 PhD and MS students, 2 post docs, 2 exchange PhD students and 6 visiting scholars were actively involved in this project. PIs, scientists, students and scholars interacted frequently to provide guidance to the student and scholar. Post-docs, students and scholars carried out day-to-day research activities including concept development and discussion, prototype design and fabrication, and lab and field data collection. Students were also supervised for research paper writing, presentation and publication. The team has also collaborated with local community colleges to provide their students opportunities to gain technology awareness, and even participating in research activities, in our specialty crop automation research.
Dissemination Streams
We presented our findings in various conferences in including 2018 Annual International Meeting of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, which attracted a lot of attention from peer researchers. Our team has demonstrated drone imagery technology and solid-set canopy delivery technology for grapevine and tree fruit, and presented more than 30 research prototypes and posters introducing various agricultural automation systems developed and/evaluated under the umbrella of this project. In addition, we hosted more than 10 groups of stakeholders (e.g. growers, scientists, engineers, students and policy makers) from Washington and other parts of the country as well as from around the world. Various technologies being developed with the project have been demonstrated to these visitors/stakeholders.
Next Reporting Steps
Nothing Reported