A coalition of 30 U.S. House members is encouraging the House Agriculture Committee to prioritize federal support for specialty crop mechanization research in the 2024 Farm Bill. The bipartisan effort …
New Guidelines Available as Winegrape Mechanization Expands
Winegrape mechanization in California is continuing to expand as the availability and costs of labor become more challenging. Harvesting was the first area to become heavily mechanized. However, growers are …
Several Factors Contributing to Wider Adoption of Agtech Innovation
Agtech innovation is continually evolving, making more advanced tools available for farmers and ranchers. Although a slow process, farmers and ranchers have been more receptive to adopting automation and mechanization …
Farm Mechanization Key to Addressing Labor Issues Moving Forward
With labor a constant concern for California producers, farm mechanization research and investment present a viable mitigation approach. Mechanized farming equipment cannot address all the issues related to the continually …
Autonomous Weeders Showing Promise in Lettuce Fields
Research evaluating the value of autonomous weeders is yielding positive results in Salinas Valley. The weeders were deployed in lettuce fields and were judged on their ability to address weeds …
Mechanical Pruning of a New Raisin Variety at KARE
Industry members got an opportunity to see two machines perform mechanical pruning in vineyards this week at the 2020 Grape Mechanical Pruning Field Demo that was held at the Kearney …
Mechanical Vineyard Pruning Possible Without Replanting
One of the major concerns regarding mechanical vineyard pruning is the time and cost associated with replanting a vineyard in a manner that would accommodate the process. However, a report …
Labor Issues Increase Vineyard Mechanization Attention
Vineyard mechanization was a heavily discussed topic at the annual Sustainable Ag Expo in San Luis Obispo. One local vineyard has almost been forced to adopt the technology because of …
Olive Production Shifts as Result of Mechanization
The shift to mechanization has spurred major growth in California olive oil production, but the trend has been slow to take root in the table olive sector, which continues to …