California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Technology

  • Registration Opens for 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge, the only collegiate agricultural robotics competition of its kind, is officially launching its 2026 season. Registration is now open for undergraduate and graduate student teams from two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the United States and worldwide.

    The competition tasks students with designing, prototyping and field-testing robotics and AI-driven solutions to tackle real challenges facing modern agriculture. The Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate, the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partnership with the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS).

    “What makes the Farm Robotics Challenge unique is that students work directly with farmers to identify and solve real problems,” said Gabe Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC ANR and founder of UC ANR Innovate. “Teams are developing practical solutions growers can put to work, and the hands-on experience prototyping and field-testing prepares students for careers in agricultural technology, while helping address some of the pressing challenges our growers face today.”

    Lead sponsor the Reservoir to award Grand Prize investment

    The Challenge is pleased to announce a partnership with the Reservoir, a leading early-stage venture capital investor and robotics incubator dedicated to accelerating real-world agricultural technology. The Reservoir joins this year as a lead sponsor, bringing with it a commitment to help student innovations leap from concept to commercialization.

    As part of this partnership, the Reservoir will award a $50,000 Grand Prize investment to the winning team. This seed funding goes beyond a traditional competition prize, as it provides a powerful springboard for turning student-built prototypes into market-ready solutions with real agricultural impact.

    “The future of agriculture will be shaped by deep tech innovators who can move quickly from lab to field,” said Danny Bernstein, CEO of the Reservoir. “The Farm Robotics Challenge brings together the kind of early-stage talent we’re eager to back – engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs with the vision to tackle real problems and the grit to commercialize their solutions. By pairing this year’s $50,000 Grand Prize investment with our on-farm incubation and venture support, we aim to help these prototypes evolve into scalable companies delivering breakthrough technologies for growers.”

    Central to the competition is the expectation that student teams work directly with growers to identify prominent issues in agriculture that could be addressed using advanced robotics, AI and automation.

    “With this challenge, teams can target a broad range of agricultural activities, such as planting, weeding, harvesting, pest management and crop monitoring, as well as focused projects in data collection, mapping and on-farm automation,” said Steve Brown, associate director of the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems.

    Teams are encouraged to design and prototype solutions, using robotic platforms equipped with autonomous navigation systems, intelligent algorithms and custom attachments to address real-world agricultural problems. These projects are field-tested, ensuring that they are not only theoretically sound but also practically viable in production agriculture environments.

    Supported by leading technology partners such as Bonsai Robotics, the competition places strong emphasis on innovation, hands-on learning and collaboration with growers.

    “For the past four years, we’ve partnered with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge because we believe the future of farming depends on the next generation of innovators. There are big problems to solve in how we grow our food, and we want these inventive, engineering minds focused on them,” said Brendan Dowdle, chief business officer at Bonsai Robotics. “Our robotics platform makes it easier to design, test and deploy AI, computer vision and autonomous systems. Every year, we’re inspired by the creativity and technical skill these students bring to the field, and the ideas just keep getting bigger. We can’t wait to see what they build next.”

    Prizes offered as part of multi-phase competition cycle

    The competition unfolds across several stages, beginning with the registration period starting in August, followed by a team formation and proposal research phase through October. Project proposals must be submitted by October 30, 2025.

    Teams then embark on a six-month development and testing phase, culminating in final project submissions due on May 3, 2026.

    The competition concludes with an awards ceremony set for May 20, 2026.

    Participation in the Farm Robotics Challenge offers numerous benefits. The competition will award over $100,000 in prizes across multiple categories, and select teams will be offered travel stipends to showcase their projects at FIRA USA, North America’s leading ag tech conference. Beyond the prizes, all participants gain access to a network of academic and industry professionals dedicated to building the future of farming.

    Throughout the competition, educational webinars will be available to help students stay informed about industry trends, develop entrepreneurial skills and gain valuable insights on topics such as intellectual property, company formation and venture capital financing, presented by experts from Morrison Foerster.

    “We are excited to partner with UC ANR Innovate and AIFS on the Farm Robotics Challenge,” said Michael Ward, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice. “To ensure that teams get their industry-changing ideas off the ground, it is critical that they have a solid understanding of the legal issues that arise when launching and growing a startup company in this field.”

    The webinars will feature interactive sessions designed to introduce teams to the legal knowledge needed to start and grow a business, protect their innovations and navigate the challenging regulatory landscape.

    “We will offer free confidential office hours to all competition participants to answer legal questions and provide guidance on moving their ideas into a company and taking steps to commercialization,” said Mitchell Presser, co-head of the Morrison Foerster Food and Ag Practice.

    Throughout the competition, student teams develop practical skills at the intersection of technology and agriculture, expand their professional networks and engage with a distinguished panel of evaluators and innovators.

    Past competitions have featured over 40 teams from across the U.S. and abroad, with previous winners including UC Davis, University of Georgia, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Olin College of Engineering (click to view past results).

    For those interested in participating, prospective teams are advised to assemble members with a range of technical expertise and secure a faculty or staff advisor. The next step is to partner with a grower to identify a meaningful agricultural problem and then design and rigorously test a solution using advanced robotics and AI.

    Comprehensive information, official rules and regular updates can be found on the Farm Robotics Challenge website. You can also register to participate in the Farm Robotics Challenge Info Session Webinar on September 10 at 4 p.m. (PDT).

    New for the 2025-26 academic year is the Farm Robotics Academy, intended for secondary school students. The Academy aims to equip both educators and students with knowledge and skills in leading-edge technologies that are reshaping the agricultural landscape. Learn more at https://www.farmroboticsacademy.ai/.

    Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge is organized by UC ANR Innovate and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, with lead support from the Reservoir, technology partner Bonsai Robotics, as well as Western Growers, Morrison Foerster, F3 Innovate, Taylor Farms, Beck’s Hybrids, Google.org, the California Tomato Research Institute, Linak U.S., and Plug and Play. The competition challenges college-level teams to identify and solve real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics technology.

    For more information about the Farm Robotics Challenge, including details on how to participate or sponsor, visit https://farmroboticschallenge.ai.

    UC ANR Innovate

    UC ANR Innovate brings together people, resources and ideas to accelerate agricultural, food and biotech innovation in California. UC ANR Innovate develops practical technologies, generates research and policy insights, prepares a future-ready workforce and builds the ecosystems and partnerships that make innovation possible: locally, regionally and globally.

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems

    The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems (AIFS) is a USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded research institute leveraging artificial intelligence to solve the world’s biggest challenges to crop and food production: ensuring a sustainable, nutritious, efficient and safe food supply while mitigating the impacts of changing conditions. For more information, visit https://aifs.ucdavis.edu.

    The Reservoir

    The Reservoir is a startup incubator and venture capital fund focused on helping ag tech startups succeed where agriculture happens – in the field. Reservoir Farms is the world’s first on-farm robotics incubator, starting in the Salinas Valley and expanding to other key regions like the Central Valley. Reservoir Ventures backs startups solving real problems in high-value crops. By combining R&D space, hands-on grower input and early-stage capital, the Reservoir helps turn promising ideas into tools for the growers who feed the world. Learn more at https://reservoir.co.

    Bonsai Robotics

    Bonsai Robotics is reimagining the agricultural industry with its AI-first platform that makes autonomous farming affordable, easy to use, and deployable across all farm equipment – whether retrofitted onto existing machines or built into next generation solutions. Its acquisition of farm-ng in 2025 combines its leading, vision-based autonomy software with modular, electric robotics to deliver next-generation machines adaptable for a wide range of crops, tasks and environments. Bonsai empowers growers to monitor and manage all farm equipment – new or legacy, autonomous or not – through a single, intuitive app. Learn more at www.bonsairobotics.ai.

    Morrison Foerster

    Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm, with clients including some of the most innovative companies – from trailblazing startups to Fortune 100 enterprises. Morrison Foerster is the firm for Food + Agriculture, representing stakeholders across the value chain, from scientists in labs optimizing plant genetics, to farmers nurturing crops, to ag tech pioneers revolutionizing farm technology, to CPG companies and global brands selling your favorite foods. With unmatched scientific depth and deep sector knowledge, Morrison Foerster has helped shape the sector for over two decades. For more information, visit www.mofo.com.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

    To read more UC ANR news, visit our newsroom at ucanr.edu/News.

  • Farm Robotics Challenge Awards to Spotlight Next Generation of Ag Innovation

    Winners of the 2025 Farm Robotics Challenge Awards will be announced on May 8. UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems will host a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, May 8, at 2-3 p.m. PDT. The event will celebrate student teams who have developed cutting-edge robotic solutions to address real-world farming challenges.

    The ceremony will announce winners from more than 20 participating colleges and universities across the United States and internationally. Over the past several months, these teams have designed innovative solutions leveraging robotics, artificial intelligence and automation. Competition projects addressed critical farming issues such as autonomous navigation, advanced data collection, harvesting assistance, weeding and more.

    “What makes this challenge unique is its focus on practical solutions developed in partnership with actual growers,” said Kelly Scott, competition director. “The innovative solutions these students have developed demonstrate the incredible potential for technology to transform farming and address pressing challenges facing farmers today.”

    The 2025 competition will award over $50,000 in prizes across multiple categories, including the prestigious $20,000 Innovation Award sponsored by farm-ng and Western Growers. Additional awards will recognize excellence in productivity, regenerative agriculture, small farm applications and judges’ choice categories. Select teams will also receive travel stipends to attend FIRA USA 2025, North America’s leading ag tech conference, and will have the opportunity to pitch at the Plug and Play Tech Center Summit in June.

    Now in its third year, the annual competition continues to expand in scope and impact. Previous winners include UC Davis’s Team Amiggie, which designed a robot to assist human pickers and monitor risky postures, and Olin College of Engineering’s Team PhoenixBot, an autonomous mechanical weeding system built to support smallholder farmers.

    The Farm Robotics Challenge aims to inspire students to pursue careers in agriculture while helping farmers solve real-world challenges through emerging technologies. Participating teams include undergraduate and graduate students from both two-year and four-year institutions.

    The awards ceremony will be livestreamed on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/kW1BEKtYkwE.  For more information about the competition and to watch the ceremony, visit www.farmroboticschallenge.ai.

    PhoenixBot, last year’s grand prize winner, is an autonomous mechanical weeding machine.

    About the Farm Robotics Challenge

    The Farm Robotics Challenge is organized by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, with support from technology partner and sponsor Farm-ng, as well as Western Growers, F3 Innovate, Beck’s Hybrids, Google.org, Taylor Farms, the California Tomato Research Institute, Linak, and Plug and Play. The competition challenges college-level teams to identify and solve real-world agricultural problems using advanced robotics technology.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • Researcher Enhances Tree-Pruning Robot

    Martin Churuvija partnered with Australian researchers this summer to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into his prototype tree-pruning robot. The Washington State University (WSU) biological systems engineering PhD student had the opportunity to work with scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) thanks to a partnership between WSU and the Australian university focused on robotics.

    He spent two months in Sydney this summer working with UTS experts to figure out how to get his robot’s operating system to recognize and accommodate deformations in apple trees, which can affect how the trees are pruned.

    Under the advisement of UTS Professor Alen Alempijevic, Churuvija updated the operating system of his robot to the latest software, enabling it to work with a newer camera system. Churuvija said the algorithms developed by UTS help his robot accommodate for minor tree movements while it scans.

    Alempijevic said Churuvija had great technical abilities and was pleased to see the research start to make inroads into agriculture automation.

    “Working together with Martin, and WSU, allows us to develop systems more rapidly,” Alempijevic said. “Being in opposite hemispheres — UTS in Australia, WSU in the USA — has the advantage of more deployment opportunities which are critical to increasing the robustness of systems.”

    Churuvija’s original system assumed a static tree structure — which worked in a controlled lab environment at the Irrigated Agriculture Research Extension Center in Prosser. Occasionally though, scans in the orchard would show odd, 3D pictures of a tree branch in a cone shape due to the wind disturbing a scan. Adding AI elements helps the robot piece together missing information and brings it closer to real-world development.

    “Using robots in orchard environments is extremely challenging,” Churuvija said. “Unlike indoor settings, outdoor conditions bring a range of obstacles. For example, our vision system — which uses cameras to perceive the world in 3D like humans — must recognize tree structures despite inconsistent lighting and wind.”

    Churuvija’s work is still in the research stage, but his ultimate goal is to help develop robots that can pick fruit as well as prune plants. He is currently focused on finalizing the development of the pruning robot and plans to run trials this winter.

    Churuvija’s trip to Australia wasn’t solely centered on lab time. He got to visit several Sydney landmarks such as the opera house and the zoo. Even though it’s on the other side of the globe from his lab in Prosser, Sydney felt comfortable, and it reminded Churuvija of his home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    “Luckily the weather is similar to the weather from the place where I have lived the most,” he said. “It’s a big city so I got to interact with people from all over the place and visit the iconic places.” — By Tom Holm, Washington State University

  • Harnessing the Power of Hydrogen to Support California Agriculture

    California leads the nation in the adoption of renewable energy. Significant investments have been made in solar electricity generation and biogas digesters in its agricultural industry, but what about hydrogen power? The State of California was recently awarded $1.2 billion from the Federal Dept. of Energy to invest in hydrogen power as a renewable energy source and offers much promise to the agricultural processing and trucking industries. Neil Navin from SoCalGas met with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network to share some of the possibilities, and explain how hydrogen power compares with electricity in its sources for sustainable generation and its ability to serve the needs of trucking and large equipment. Watch this brief interview and learn more in Malcolm Media’s agricultural publications.

  • RNAi Technology: Another Biological Tool in the IPM Arsenal

    As the food production faces the persistent threat of endemic and invasive pests, researchers continue to develop new technologies and strategies for protecting crops from these threats.  One such new technology is RNA interference (RNAi) with targeted mechanisms towards specific pests.  RNAi can be used as a trait in a crop or as a sprayable product against the target pest.  Before delving further into this here are a few basic details of this biological process that will help understand the RNAi mechanism.

    Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the chromosomes of most living organisms contains genetic code for making proteins that are essential for various biological processes.  Ribonucleic acid (RNA) carries the genetic code from DNA to the protein-making factories within the cell known as ribosomes.  DNA has two strands of nucleotides (sets of deoxyribose sugar with nitrogenous bases connected by a phosphate group) whereas RNA has only one strand of nucleotides.  RNA also differs from DNA in having ribose sugar, instead of deoxyribose, and a different kind of nitrogenous base.  The purpose of RNA is to transfer the genetic code from DNA as amino acids are made in ribosomes.  A chain of amino acids makes a specific protein.  Examples of proteins in insects include juvenile hormone responsible for development and reproductive maturation, ecdysone responsible for molting and metamorphosis, digestive enzymes like amylases, glycosidases, lipases, and proteases, and esterases that are important in metabolizing various compounds that regulate behavior, development, insecticidal resistance, and other processes.

    RNAi involves silencing the expression of a specific gene by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) pieces (either small interfering RNA or microRNA each containing about 21-23 nucleotide pairs) attaching to messenger RNA (mRNA) carrying the code from DNA and thus interfering with the production of a specific protein.  RNAi is also known as post-transcriptional gene silencing because the silencing is done after the DNA code is transcribed to mRNA.  RNAi is a natural phenomenon that helps organisms to defend against infections or regulate gene expression.  For example, when there is a viral infection, cells activate RNAi to destroy virus particles.  RNAi-based therapies are currently used in the medical field to treat cancer and neurological issues and to regulate oxalic acid in urine or the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in blood.

    RNAi can be used in agriculture for improving yield or quality, imparting abiotic stress tolerance or pest resistance, and incorporating other desirable traits or as biopesticides in crop protection (Bharathi et al., 2023; Chaudhary et al., 2024).  Many research studies have been exploring the RNAi potential in agriculture for decades (Fletcher et al., 2020).  Modifying plant height in apple (Zhao et al., 2016), rice (Qiao et al., 2007), and tomato (Cheng et al., 202); imparting drought, salt, and heat tolerance in cotton (Abdurakhmonov et al., 2014), abiotic stress tolerance in cereal crops (Dubrovna et al., 2023), and cold tolerance in tomato (Jiao et al., 2024); imparting resistance to blast (Magnaporthe grisea) and leaf blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae) in rice (Jiang et al., 2009), citrus canker (Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri) in citrus (Enrique et al., 2011), late blight (Phytophthora infestans) in potato (Eschen-Lippold et al., 2012), Fusarium head and seedling blight (Fusarium graminearum) in wheat (Cheng et al., 2015), soybean mosaic virus in soybean (Kim et al., 2016); imparting resistance to bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) in cotton (Mao et al., 2007 and 2011) and resistance to brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) in rice (Zha et al., 2011); and imparting resistance to root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in tomato (Dutta et al., 2015) and soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) in soybean (Guo et al., 2015) are some of the examples of improving crop traits.

    The first RNAi crop in the United States is corn (SmartStax® PRO) against the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) containing both Bacillus thuringiensis toxins and RNAi technology (Head et al., 2017).  With its ability to resist both below- and above-ground lepidopteran pests, this hybrid is an important IPM tool.  This hybrid is also available in Canada for cultivation, and grain and products from the hybrid are approved for consumption in the European Union.  RNAi-based crops are not considered genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because they do not contain a foreign gene to express a particular protein like GMOs but use a natural mechanism to silence a particular gene.

    In addition to adding desirable traits to crops, RNAi has also been explored or developed for treating plants against pests and diseases.  While RNAi crops use the host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) method, RNAi biopesticides use the spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS).  SIGS has been explored for controlling Fusarium graminearum in barley (Koch et al., 2016), sucking and/or stem-boring insects in multiple crops (Li et al. 2015; Hunter and Wintermantel, 2021; Jain et al., 2022), hawthorn spider mite (Amphitetranychus viennensis) in fruit trees and woody ornamentals (Yang et al., 2023).  The first sprayable formulation of RNAi-based biopesticide is CalanthaTM from GreenLight Biosciences against the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Rodrigues et al., 2021).  The active ingredient is a dsRNA molecule known as Ledprona (Leptinotarsa decemlineata-specific recombinant double-stranded interfering Oligonucleotide GS2).  It belongs to a new class of insecticides under group 35 as an RNAi-mediated target suppressor.  Applied as a foliar spray, Ledprona suppresses the gene that produces proteasome subunit beta type-5 (PSBT5) in CPB and arrests insect feeding within 2-3 days after it is ingested leading to the death of the pest.  PSBT5 is an essential protein important in maintaining cellular protein quality by degrading damaged or misfolded proteins or proteins that are no longer needed.

    RNAi can also be used to protect honey bees from the Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (Hunter et al., 2010) and the Varroa mite (Garbian et al., 2012).  In field studies, honey bee populations and honey production increased when bees were fed dsRNA for the virus in the presence of virus in the colonies (Hunter et al., 2010).  The ectoparasite Varroa mite is a major threat to the honey bee colony health and its management is a significant challenge.  When honey bees ingest the mite-specific dsRNA that silences the calcium ion-binding protein known as calmodulin, the dsRNA is transmitted to the Varroa mite feeding on the hemolymph of the bees resulting in mite mortality (Garbian et al., 2012).

    As with any new technology, it is important to consider the impact of RNAi on the environment and non-target organisms.  Environmental risks and regulatory aspects of RNAi-based products have been reviewed in various reports (Liu et al., 2021; De Schutter et al., 2022; Christiaens et al., 2022).  Microbial activity, UV radiation, and other environmental conditions degrade dsRNA and they are generally less stable in the environment, especially under the field conditions where they are used (Bachman et al., 2020).  Studies showed that dsRNA degraded within two days in soil and 1-3 days in the aquatic environment (Dubelman et al., 2014; Fishcer et al., 2017).  Chen et al. (2023) reported that while an RNAi-based biopesticide was highly effective against the 28-spotted ladybeetle (Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata), a pest of solanaceous crops, it had no non-target effect on the predatory lady beetle Propylea japonica.  Similarly, studies showed that the dsRNA developed for controlling Varroa mite were safe for honey bees (Tan et al., 2016; Vélez et al., 2016) and the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexxippus) whose calmodulin mRNA has a slight match to the Varroa-active dsRNA (Krishnan et al., 2021).

    With regards to Ledprona, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that it has minimal human and environmental risks due to low application rates, rapid microbial degradation in the environment, and physiological barriers and degradation mechanisms in mammals.  EPA also gave Ledprona a “No Effect” determination according to the Endangered Species Act.

    Environmental instability is one of the concerns for SIGS but formulation technology can address this problem.  Instead of spraying naked dsRNA, formulating it with layered double hydroxide clay nanoparticles known as BioClay significantly extended the stability of dsRNA.  Spraying dsRNA in BioClay provided protection against pepper mild mottle virus and cucumber mosaic virus at least for 20 days and dsRNA was detected on the leaves 30 days after application (Mitter et al., 2017).  Similarly, spraying BioClay-formulated dsRNA 5 days before exposing to virus-containing green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) offered protection against the bean common mosaic virus in cowpea and benth (Nicotiana benthamiana) (Worrall et al., 2019).  In a more recent study, BioClay-formulated dsRNA against gray mold (Botrytis cenerea) increased disease protection from 1 week to 3 weeks on leaves and 5 days to 10 days on fruit (Niño-Sánchez et al., 2022).

    Arthropod pests and pathogens are resilient and rapidly evolving organisms and can develop resistance to RANi technology just like they develop to pesticides or transgenic crops.  Whether it is HIGS or SIGS, avoiding heavy reliance on one tool and adopting integrated pest management (IPM) and resistance management strategies is crucial even when using RNAi.  An IPM strategy that takes advantage of multiple tools will minimize the risk of resistance development while achieving desired pest suppression. — By Surendra Dara, Oregon State University Extension Entomologist

    References

    Abdurakhmonov, I. Y., Z. T. Buriev, S. Saha, J. N. Jenkins, A. Abdukarimov and A. E. Pepper.  2014.  Phytochorme RNAi enhances major fibre quality and agronomic traits of the cotton Gossypium hirsutum L.  Nat. Comm. 5: 3062. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4062.

    Backman, P., J. Fischer, Z. Song, E. Urbanczyk-Wochniak and G. Watson.  2020.  Environmental fate and dissipation of applied dsRNA in soil, aquatic systems, and plants.  Front. Plant Sci. 11: 508351. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00021.

    Bharathi, J. K., R. Anandan, L. K. Benjamin, S. Muneer, and M.A.S. Prakash.  2023.  Recent trends and advances of RNA interference (RNAi) to improve agricultural crops and enhance their resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses.  Plant Physiol. Biochem. 194: 600-618.

    Chaudhary, D., A. S. Jeena, S. Gaur, R. Raj, S. Mishra, O. P. Gupta, and M. R. Meena.  2024.  Advances in RNA interference for plant functional genomics: unveiling traits mechanisms, and future directions.  Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-023-04850-x.

    Chen, S. X. Luo, S. Nanda, C. Yang, Z. Li, Y. Zhang, X. Zhou and H. Pan.  2023.  RNAi-based biopesticides against 28-spotted ladybeetle Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata does not harm the insect predator Propylea japonica.  J. Agric. Food Chem. 71: 3373-3384.

    Cheng, W., S. Yin, Y. Tu, H. Mei, Y. Wang and Y. Yang.  2020.  SICAND1, encoding cullin-associated NEdd8-dissociated protein 1, regulates plant height, flowering time, seed germination, and root architecture in tomato.  Plant Mol. Biol. 102: 537-551. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-020-00963-7.

    Cheng, W., X.-S. Song, H.-P. Li, L.-H. Cao, K. Sun, X.-L. Qiu, Y.-B. Xu, P. Yang, T. Huang, J.-B. Zhang, B. Qu and Y.-C. Liao.  2015.  Host-induced gene silencing of an essential chitin synthase gene confers durable resistance to Fusarium head blight and seedling blight in wheat.  Plant Biotechnol. J. 13: 1335-1345. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12352.

    Christiaens, O., J. Sweet, T. Dzhambazova, I. Urru, G. Smagghe, K. Kostov and S. Arpaia.  2022.  Implementation of RNAi-based arthropod pest control: environmental risks, potential for resistance and regulatory considerations.  J. Pest Sci. 95: 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-021-01439-3.

    De Schutter, K., C.N.T. Taning, L. Van Daele, E.J.M. Van Damme, P. Dubruel and G. Smagghe.  2022.  RNAi-based biocontrol products: market status, regulatory aspects, and risk assessment.  Front. Insect Sci. 1: 818037. https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2021.818037.

    Dubelman, S., J. Fischer, F. Zapata, K. Huizinga, C. Jiang, J. Uffman, S. Levine and D. Carson.  2014.  Environmental fate of double-stranded RNA in agricultural soils. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093155.

    Dubrovna, O. V., S. I Mykhalska, and A. G. Komisarenko.  2023.  Use of RNA interference technology for improving economically valuable traits of cereal crops.  Cytology and Genetics 57: 587-610.

    Dutta, T. K., P. K. Papolu, P. Banakar, D. Choudhary, A. Sirohi and U. Rao.  2015.  Tomato transgenic plants expressing hairpin construct of a nematode protease gene conferred enhanced resistance to root-knot nematodes.  Front. Microbiol. 6: 260. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00260.

    Enrique, R., F. Siciliano, M. A. Favaro, N. Gerhardt, R. Roeschlin, L. Rigano and M. R. Marano.  2011.  Novel demonstration of RNAi in citrus reveals importance of citrus callose synthase in defence against Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.  Plant Biotehnol. J. 9: 394-407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7652.2010.00555.x.

    Eschen-Lippold, L., R. Ladgraf, U. Smolka, S. Schulze, M. Heilmann, I. Heilmann, G. Hause and S> ROsahl.  2012.  Activation of defense against Phytophthora infestans in potato by down-regulation of syntaxin gene expression.  The Ne Phytologist 193: 985-996. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.04024.x.

    Fischer, J. R., F. Zapata, S. Dubelman, G. M. Mueller, J. P. Uffman, C. Jiang, P. D. Jensen and S. L. Levine.  2017.  Aquatic fate of a double-stranded RNA in a sediment-water system following an over-water application.  Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 36: 727-734. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.3585.

    Fletcher, S. J., P. T. Reeves, B. T. Hoang, and N. Mitter.  2020. A perspective on RNAi-based biopesticides.  Frontiers in Plant Science 11: 51. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.00051.

    Garbian, Y., E. Maori, H. Kalev, S. Shafir and I. Sela.  2012.  Bidirectional transfer of RNAi between honey bee and Varroa destructor: Varroa gene silencing reduces Varroa population.  PLoS Pathogens 8: e1003035. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003035.

    Guo, X., D. Chronis, C. M. De La Torre, J. Smeda, X. Wang and M. G. Mitchum.  2015.  Enhanced resistance to sybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines in transgenic soybean by silencing putative CLE receptors.  Plant Biotechnol. J. 13: 801-810. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12313.

    Head, G. P., M. W. Carroll, S. P. Evans, D. M. Rule, A. R. Willse, T. L. Clark, N. P. Storer, R. D. Flannagan, L. W. Samuel and L. J. Meinke.  2017.  Evaluation of SmartStax and SmartStax PRO maize against western corn rootworm and northern corn rootworm: efficacy and resistance management.  Pest Manag. Sci. 73: 1883-1899.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.4554.

    Hunter, W., J. Ellis, D. vanEngelsdorp, J. Hayes, D. Westervelt, E. Glick, M. Williams, I. Sela, E. Maori, J. Pettis, D. Cox-Foster and N. Paldi.  2010.  Large-scale field application of RNAi technology reducing Israili Acute Paralysis Virus disease in honey bees (Apis mellifera, Hymenoptera: Apidae). PLoS Pathogens 6: e1001160. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1001160.

    Hunter, W. B. and W. M. Wintermantel.  2021.  Optimizing efficient RNAi-mediated control of hemipteran pests (psyllids, leafhoppers, whitefly): modified pyrimidines in drRNA triggers.  Plants 10: 1782. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091782.

    Jain, R. G., S. J. Fletcher, N. Manzie, K. E. Robinson, P. Li, E. Lu, C. A. Brosnan, Z. P. Xu and N. Mitter.  2022. Foliar application of clay-delivered RNA interference for whitefly control.  Nature Plants 8: 535-548.

    Jiang, C.-J., M. Shimono, S. Maeda, H. Inoue, M. Mori, M. Hasegawa, S. Sugano and H. Takatsuji.  2009.  Suppression of the rice fatty-acid desaturase gene OsSSI2 enhances resistance to blast and leaf blight diseases in rice.  Mol. Reprod. Dev. 22: 820-829. https://doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-22-7-0820.

    Jiao, C., J. Sun. and Y. Wei.  2024.  SlWRKY31 enhances chilling tolerance by interacting with SlSIZ1 in tomato fruit.  Postharvest Biol. Technol. 207: 112631. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2023.112631.

    Kim, H. J., M. J. Kim, J. H. Pak, H. H. Im, D. H. Lee, K. H. Ki, and Y. S. Chung.  2016.  RNAi-mediated soybean mosaic virus (SMV) resistance of a Korena soybean cultivar.  Plant Biotechnol. Reports 10: 257-267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-016-0402-y.

    Koch, A., D. Biedenkopf, A. Furch, L. Weber, O. Rossbach, E. Abdellatef, L. Linicus, J. Johannsmeier, L. Jelonek, A. Goesmann, V. Cardoza, J. McMillan, T. Mentzel and K.-H. Kogel.  2016.  An RNAi-based control of Fusarium graminearum infections through spraying of long dsRNAs involves a plant passage and is controlled by the fungal silencing machinery.  PLoS Pathogens 12: e1005901. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1005901.

    Krishnan, N., M. J. Hall, R. L. Hellmich, J. R. Coats and S. P. Bradbury.  2021.  Evaluating toxicity of Varroa mite (Varroa destructor)-active dsRNA to monarch butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) larvae.  PLoS One 16: e0251884. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251884.

    Li, H. R. Guan, H. Guo and X. Miao.  2015.  New insights into an RNAi approach for plant defence against piercing-sucking and stem-borer insect pests.  Plant, Cell & Environment 38: 2277-2285. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.12546.

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  • New Technologies Featured at World Ag Expo That California Farmers Should Know About

    Boasting over 100,000 attendees from 49 States and 81 countries, the World Ag Expo was another big hit this year.  With  a sea of vendors to navigate across the International Agri-Center grounds in Tulare, it’s hardly feasible for attendees to see it all.  Check out this brief video featuring several companies that Malcolm Media visited with during the event that shared some novel technologies and equipment to support and sustain California farmers needs well into the future.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • New Robots Featured at FIRA USA to Serve Specialty Crop Ag

    The specialty crop ag community was excited to gather recently in Salinas for the second edition of FIRA USA.  The event featured the latest robotics and automation technologies on the market for fruit, vegetable and tree nut growers.  Watch this special video presentation showcasing new technologies from several innovative companies featured at this event.

  • New Sensor Chip Advances Rapid, Cost-Effective Disease Diagnostics

    Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists and collaborators at Iowa State University have developed a sensor chip that can detect many disease pathogens with 10 times the sensitivity of currently available methods.

    The chip also eliminates the need for chemical dye reagents typically used in the diagnostic process. The new technology shows promise for rapid, low-cost point-of-care diagnostic capabilities in plants, foods, animals and humans, including detecting foodborne pathogens, bird flu and COVID-19.

    An abstract diagram showing the basic configuration of the LAMP reaction chamber and nanopore film sensor containing immobilized LAMP products (Texas A&M AgriLife Illustration)

    Results from the new sensor are available in about 30 minutes.

    In their research, published in ASC Sensors, scientists used the new sensor to detect Phytophthora infestans. The pathogen causes globally devastating late blight disease — a particular threat to potato and tomato crops.

    The research was co-led by Jinping Zhao, Ph.D., AgriLife Research postdoctoral research scientist in Dallas, and Subin Mao, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University. Serving as corresponding authors were collaborators Junqi Song, Ph.D., associate professor and plant immunity research lead with AgriLife Research in Dallas, and Long Que, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering at Iowa State University. Seed grants from each university funded the research.

    “This research advances technologies that have emerged as some of our greatest opportunities for improving agriculture, food safety and human health,” Song said. “Our publication represents a step toward realizing these powerful tools against diseases.”

    Building on existing technologies

    The new sensor improves upon a technique known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP, which is widely used to detect pathogens by amplifying their DNA.

    Detection of LAMP products amplified from templates, such as pathogen DNA, often requires that the products be “labeled” by using fluorescence dyes — a costly process with low sensitivity. The new sensor diagnoses pathogens without such reagents and at high sensitivity. It also eliminates a lengthy DNA purification process that creates challenges for point-of-care use.

    The new chip consists of a nanopore thin-film sensor inside a special reaction chamber. Primers are uniquely designed to be immobilized on the nanofilm, causing amplified LAMP products to become bound to the sensor, which produces signals that can be directly and easily measured with a portable spectrometer.

    What’s next

    The LAMP chip offers a new portable platform to detect pathogens using label-free sensors with ultrasensitivity. The research team will now work to further enhance sensitivity to a subattomolar or even lower level.

    The team aims to offset current challenges to detecting and distinguishing pathogen species and strains with high-sequence similarities. They will also work to improve the specificity of detections and establish quantitative detection by integrating artificial intelligence and CRISPR gene-editing technologies.

    Their goal is to achieve a viable product for broad adoption in plant, animal and human health point-of-care applications.

  • Over 25 Farming Robots to be Featured at FIRA USA 2023 this Fall in Salinas

    Weeding, harvesting, picking, carrying,… Robots are today’s answer to many challenges facing agriculture. And they will show up this fall in Salinas for the second edition of FIRA USA. From September 19 to 21, the Salinas Sports Complex, home of the famous California Rodeo Salinas, will be the place to discover the autonomous farming solutions in action. During three days, expo, demos, pitch sessions and even a robot parade will take place in the Salad Bowl of the World. Please note that the traveling event through California FIRA USA not only focuses on vegetables: trees and vineyards are also at the heart of the environmental and labor issues that agriculture must address… just like FIRA USA!  For this reason, Malcolm Media is partnering with FIRA-USA, and California Ag Network, California Fruit & Vegetable, Pacific Nut Producer, and American Vineyard Magazines are among the proud sponsors of this special event, so be sure to come see us there.

    25+ robots for farming autonomously

    FIRA’s organizers, French association GOFAR, Western Growers and University of California ANR/The VINE announce that already 25 robots have signed up for FIRA USA 2023.

    “Even if FIRA USA 2022 in Fresno was already a success, this year marks a real turn: four months before the event, we already confirmed 25 robots – and it’s just the beginning!”notes Maialen Cazenave, co-director in charge of the partnerships at GOFAR. “Coming from California, other states in the US, and even from Europe, we expect another 10 to 20 robots to partner with us – and we have space to welcome them both on the exhibition area and on the demo zones (on vegetables, fruits, orchards, and vineyards)”.

    From weed control to fruits picking, robots main functions at FIRA USA

    Here is the list of the 25 robots from the companies that already confirmed their participation in FIRA USA 2023:

    • ●  Bluewhite (USA – California): Bluewhite’s Pathfinder transforms any brand of existing orchard or vineyard tractor into a fully autonomous fleet, capable of executing multiple tasks, such as spraying, herbicide, discing, mowing, or harvesting, with high precision and operating efficiency.
    • ●  Naïo Technologies (France and USA – California): Oz, Ted, Orio and Jo: light electric and autonomous ag. robots to offer a sustainable alternative to the use of herbicides that can interface with smart implements to offer a high precision weeding, seeding, mowing and a very precise guidance of the implements.
    • ●  Carbon Robotics (USA – California): high-precision LaserWeederTM leverages sophisticated AI deep learning technology, computer vision, robotics, and lasers.
    • ●  Stout Industrials (USA – California): the Stout Smart Cultivator is a software-defined, tractor-drawn implement that uses machine vision and artificial intelligence to cultivate and weed fields using mechanical blades.
    • ●  Agtonomy (USA): A fully electric, reference tractor that executes labor-intensive field missions such as mowing, spraying, transport, and weeding, in the toughest terrain.
    • ●  Ecorobotix (Switzerland): ARA is a high-precision sprayer developed by Ecorobotix, which enables the ultra-targeted application of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides or fertilizers, reducing the use of them up to 95%.
    • ●  Solinftec (Brazil): scouting robot that scans the crops and record their growth rates, plant health the prevalence of any weeds, suited for farms around 500 acres and works with several types of row crops including corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, canola and many others.
    • ●  Nexus Robotics (Canada): weeding and scouting robot that provides farmers with real-time information about the size and health of their crops.
    • ●  Verdant Robotics (USA – California): multi-action, autonomous farm robot capable of millimeter-accurate spraying, laser weeding, and AI-based digital crop modeling.
    • ●  GUSS Automation (USA – California): GUSS autonomous sprayers provide a solution to labor challenges while increasing efficiency, precision and safety in orchards, vineyards, and high-density orchards.
    • ●  SeedSpider (USA – California): the WeedSpider can be configured to efficiently and accurately mechanically weed, mechanically thin, or precision spray commercial vegetable crops.
    • ●  Farm-ng (USA – California): Amiga is a modular, all-electric micro-tractor that can turn-in-place, haul, lift, carry tools, cultivate, and is easy to adapt to any farm’s cropping systems and cultural practices.
    • ●  Monarch Tractor (USA – California): fully electric, driver-optimal, smart Tractor platform built to empower farmers by enabling profitable implementation of sustainable and organic practices.●  Mantis Ag Technologies (USA – California): from thinners to sprayers and cultivators, the line of products turns intelligence, automation and data into smart, practical solutions for growers.●  Burro (USA – California): Burros use computer vision, high precision GPS, and AI to follow people to navigate autonomously from A to B while carrying various payloads.●  Robotics Plus (New Zealand): modular platform, designed to accommodate swappable attachments for spraying – mowing, trimming and weed control under development.●  Aigen (USA – Washington) : robotics platform powered by the sun, directly. Like a plant! We aim for affordability and scale, while others aim for high profit margins. We start with the farmer first, and build our platform from there.●  EDETE (Israel): end-to-end artificial pollination service comprising 2 steps that mimics the natural pollination process: 1. collecting and 2. distributing pollen.

      ●  K.U.L.T. (Germany): agricultural machines for soil cultivation and weeding solutions for vegetable production, field crops, ornamental production, herbs, grassland, vineyards, orchards,…

      ●  Sabanto (USA – Iowa): aftermarket autonomy system installed on tractors.

      The US largest in-field demo zone for robots

      FIRA USA will host the largest demo zone of farming robots.

      Managed by Triangle Farms, Pacific Ag Rentals and the University of California, the crops will be available for the robots to show their functions on vegetables, fruits, orchards and vineyards.

      To exhibit and/or make a robot demos, manufacturers can contact Maialen Cazenave:

      fira.usa@fira-agtech.com

      Registrations to FIRA USA 2023 are open, please visit: www.fira-usa.com

      About GOFAR

      The GOFAR non-profit organization undertakes to promote and develop the agricultural robotics sector at international level. Like RobAgri, whose objective is to facilitate the technical development of agricultural robots, GOFAR meets the increasing need for visibility and networking of the agricultural robotics sector.

      About Western Growers

      Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including nearly half of America’s fresh organic produce. Some members also farm throughout the U.S. and in other countries so people have year-round access to nutritious food. For generations, we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers.

      About The Vine, UC ANR

      The VINE, an initiative of University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources, is California’s agriculture, food, and biotech innovation network. Our mission is to harness the power of open innovation to help industries and entrepreneurs grow and scale globally while catalyzing technology innovation and commercialization for productive, sustainable, and equitable food systems.

      We connect entrepreneurs to a vast network of public and private sector resources, build collaborations that accelerate technology solutions to solve industry challenges, and grow regional capacity to support global innovation as an economic opportunity.

  • New Farm Bill May Incentivize On-Farm Ag Tech Innovations

    Just as the previous Farm Bill has supported farmers with cost-share programs like EQIP to improve their sustainability, the specialty crop sector of ag is pushing for the coming Farm Bill to support on-farm ag tech innovations in a similar way.  Watch this brief interview with California Fresh Fruit Association President Ian LeMay to learn more.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Ranch Systems for their industry support.