Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/744696
22 NOVEMBER 2016 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com The experiment, published in April this year in the journal Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, used cherry trees after harvest and wetness sensors that mimicked leaves, an indirect indicator of the water that would be on cherries. The group has applied for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to repeat the test using a sensor that would measure cherry wetness in the stem bowl and tip more directly, said Lav Khot, an assistant professor for the center. He also has used the drone to help collect data regarding vineyard canopy health and temperature for a subsur - face irrigation trial in the fields near the Prosser facility. "For me, a drone is just a tractor," he said. The future To overcome shadows in tree canopies, Khot's colleagues are toying with the idea of flying drones low, between rows, scanning horizontally to estimate yields or pre-identify fruit for an automated harvester. Manoj Karkee, another researcher at the center, has filed an invention disclosure with the university's commercialization office, a precursor to pursuing a patent. "There is so much possible with UAVs," Karkee said. What about those pesky birds? He envisions tying remote sensors to a com- puter program that would detect birds and automatically deploy the drones to shoo them away. Same goes for elk and deer. Meanwhile, better sensors are on the horizon, according to Young Kim, CEO of Digital Harvest, a Virginia precision agri- culture company. At the Drone Rodeo, he compared the gap between current and future sensors to the difference TJ MULLINAX/GOOD FRUIT GROWER A spectator records the takeoff of Aerial Technology International's AgBot during a presentation. The quadcopter demonstration highlighted ATI's AgPlanner software to help growers plan consistent flight patterns for data recording over time. From bloom to bin, we've got you covered. Fruit Growers know more than anyone that bad weather and low prices can destroy the crop they've so tenderly cared for. Our managers at VIP Insurance Agencies know this too and understand the risks that exist from dirt to delivery. After all, our company has generations of experience in helping our growers thrive under every condition imaginable. To learn more about how we can help, visit vipagencyinc.com. VIP INSURANCE AGENCIES Brewster 509-689-0904 Chelan 509-682-4517 Yakima 509-494-9374 Tonasket 509-486-2917 Supporting your Food Safety Program since 1978 ISO 17025 Accredited Get started today, call 1-800-545-4206 or contact: laura@cascadeanalytical.com A strong FSMA Food Safety Plan Protects your Brand Reputation A strong FSMA Food Safety Plan Protects your Brand Reputation Build an enhanced HACCP program based on your specifi c microbial data. Use pro-active CGMP steps for a successful Preventative Control strategy.