California Fruit and Vegetable

Tag: USDA-NIFA

  • AI Tool to Help Farmers Measure Real-Time Crop Health from the Field

    Leaf Monitor, a new mobile tool backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how farmers monitor crops and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition and leaf trait information in the field.

    “Having this information is very valuable for the farmers,” said Alireza Pourreza, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and director of the Digital Agriculture Laboratory in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. “In five seconds, they can have a sense of how much nutrition they have in a leaf.”

    Development of the AI model was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s HiRes Vineyard Nutrition multistate project and its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, as well as the California Table Grape Commission.

    Maha Afifi, director of viticulture research at the California Table Grape Commission, said the tool could be a game changer for the table grape industry if it leads to faster decision-making about fertilizer use. The right amount typically leads to healthier vines that produce more grapes with optimal size, weight and color.

    “The evaluation of vine nutrient status is one of our top priorities,” Afifi said. “At the same time, exploring new technology tools like this project is a high priority for us because they will be important to the future of the table grape industry.”

    Field testing

    The Leaf Monitor tool uses a handheld spectrometer to measure leaf reflectance beyond the range of light visible to the human eye.

    Once a leaf is scanned, its spectral data is uploaded to a cloud-based machine learning system designed to predict leaf traits and nutrient content. This algorithm was developed and trained by the Digital Agriculture Laboratory over five years using a dataset of thousands of leaf samples collected from California’s specialty crops, primarily grapevines and almonds. The samples were chemically analyzed to determine nutrient levels and structural leaf traits, providing the data needed to build an accurate prediction model.

    “Nutrient deficiencies in plants often go unnoticed until late in the season, by which point the damage is already irreversible,” said graduate student Parastoo Farajpoor, who is running the project. “This is why early detection is essential. Spectrometry provides a rapid and reliable way to identify these deficiencies before visible symptoms appear.”

    After a recent demonstration, Bulleseye Farms Irrigation Manager Geoff Klein said the tool could help save money and improve yields. Bullseye grows walnuts, pistachios, tomatoes, corn, wheat, rice and sunflowers in Yolo and Solano counties.

    Tailored crop management

    Currently, farmers typically take leaf samples, dry them, grind them up and send the samples off to a lab for testing, which can take up to two weeks to return results. Bullseye samples leaf tissues about three times a year.

    “Right now, it doesn’t really make sense to go out and take tissues in every single corner just because it’s expensive,” Klein said. “It’d be really cool if I could just walk out there and test a couple of different places.”

    The Leaf Monitor tool helps farmers tailor management decisions to specific areas rather than an entire field. Calibrating fertilizer use to real-time data can prevent overuse and nitrogen runoff, a financial and environmental challenge that many growers face.

    “I feel like there’s a lot of times we do need to put less [fertilizer] on, where we end up putting more, because that’s what the nitrogen removal formula says,” Klein said. “But with this app we can use less because we know the actual conditions at the time. I think it opens a lot of doors in terms of getting data back in real time and also utilizing the level of control we have with the data.”

    The app can also aggregate the scans and map out spatial patterns over a large area.

    “What we know is every field has variability that is not necessarily visible to the farmer’s eye,” Pourreza said.

    The prototype Leaf Monitor tool is free and included in a set of tools that can be downloaded on the Digital Agriculture Laboratory website. A web-based version of the tool will follow while the team continues to feed new data into the algorithm to refine the predictions. On average, it achieves about 65% accuracy across all traits, with predictions for certain nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, performing better than the overall average. Users will need to pair it with a spectrometer.

    “We need to produce more food while using less resources so we need to have some kind of monitoring system to give us precise and accurate feedback on our management practice,” Pourreza said. “This technology is growing very fast.” — By Emily Dooley, UC Davis

  • Turning Apple Waste into Profit and Protein

    Every year, as the presses churn and the sweet smell of cider fills the autumn air, more than 4 million tons of apple byproducts are hauled off as animal feed, compost or landfill waste. But a new Cornell study offers apple skins, seeds, cores and pulp a different ending.

    Freeze-dried and milled into a fine powder, the byproduct, known as pomace, can be blended into commercial beef meatballs at levels up to 20% without turning off consumers, according to a new study published Sept. 12 in the Journal of Food Science and Nutrition. In sensory panels of more than 100 untrained tasters, the meatballs with apple pomace were indistinguishable in aroma, taste, texture and overall preference from all meat formulations.

    Doctoral student Peter Gracey works in the Leslie J. Herzog ’77 and Jacqueline Beckley Food Innovation Lab. Photo by Sreang Hok, Cornell University.

    “It’s a great source of fiber and bioactives,” said corresponding author Elad Tako, associate professor of food science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “But as an ingredient, it also has an antioxidant effect and contributes to a longer shelf life for food products.”

    The finding is more than a kitchen curiosity. It also points toward a potential new revenue stream for apple and cider producers in New York state and a practical way to close a circular loop in food manufacturing. Rather than paying to dispose of pomace, processors could freeze-dry and sell it as a value-added ingredient to meat packers, food manufacturers and specialty producers.

    That shift could trim disposal costs, reduce methane emissions from landfills and capture additional dollars from a resource now treated as waste. At the same time, it could increase dietary fiber content in popular processed foods and modestly reduce the share of animal protein without changing the eating experience.

    “I’ve always had a passion for sustainability,” said Peter Gracey, first author and doctoral student in Tako’s lab. “There have been other experiments exploring the use of grape and apple pomace as an ingredient in other meat products.”

    Gracey said they tested a realistic commercial scenario. They bought Cortland, Empire and Red Delicious apples at wholesale, pressed them at a commercial juice press, then freeze-dried the leftover pomace for 48 hours. After milling the dried material to a consistent particle size, they rehydrated it and blended it into 80% lean ground beef at 10% and 20% inclusion rates.

    Beyond the tasting panels, they measured texture, color, composition and cooking yields. The 20% formulations did show a drop in cooking yield and a shift in internal color that might matter to manufacturers who need to meet specification standards. But the sensory panel did not penalize the higher inclusion levels, suggesting consumers may accept small changes if the product is otherwise familiar.

    The benefits flow in multiple directions, Tako said. For cider makers and juice processors, pomace accounts for an estimated 25-30% of the total fruit mass. Handling that volume is expensive. Transportation and disposal costs can eat into already tight margins, especially for small and mid-sized processors. Turning pomace into a dry, shelf-stable ingredient means less waste-hauling and a marketable product that could be packaged, sold and distributed. For regional processors seeking new revenue streams, the approach could be appealing.

    For meat producers, the ingredient adds pectin, fiber, polyphenols and micronutrients – all benefits that could be advertised in a “better for you” food package. Many populations fall short on recommended fiber intake. Adding fruit-derived fiber to processed meat products could help close that gap without asking consumers to change deeply ingrained habits. The approach may be especially useful in institutional settings such as schools, hospitals and workplaces where familiar comfort foods are served at scale, according to the researchers, among them Olga Padilla-Zakour, Seneca Foods Foundation Professor and director of the Food Venture Center, Cornell AgriTech.

    From a climate perspective, diverting pomace from landfills curbs methane emissions and reduces the environmental footprint of juice and cider production. Replacing part of the meat in processed foods with plant material lowers the embedded greenhouse gas intensity of those items. The study citesresearch indicating that substantial reductions in processed and red meat consumption could lead to steep declines in food-system emissions.

    Globally, apple production topped 97 million metric tons in 2023. New York state is the second-largest apple producer in the U.S., home to thousands of apple growers and a growing number of small cider houses and juice operations. The prospect of a local market for pomace could keep dollars within regional supply chains, according to Tako. Instead of trucking wet waste to distant composting sites, a processor in the Finger Lakes could partner with a meat co-packer or snack-food manufacturer in the region.

    The exact size of the potential market will depend on a string of practical issues, Gracey said: how much pomace producers can economically dry, how quickly they can supply consistent lots and whether food manufacturers will invest in formulation and labeling changes. Freeze-drying preserves bioactive compounds and structure, but it is energy-intensive and requires capital equipment or third-party services. Simpler drying technologies might work, too, but would need careful validation to preserve color, flavor and food safety.

    If adopted, Tako said, “it’s a win-win-win. It could mean more natural, better-for-you products for meat companies and the people who care about getting enough protein and other nutrients, but also provide a new income stream for apple and cider producers.” — By Laura Reiley, Cornell University

  • 160 Years of Cornell Potato Breeding with National Impact

    Boil them, mash them, stick them in a stew – potatoes are the most-consumed vegetable in New York and the U.S., accounting for $100 billion of the U.S. economy. Although New York’s share of total potato production has decreased over time, with most crops now being grown in the west, the Empire State still punches above its weight in supporting the national potato industry, thanks to Cornell University’s 160-year-old potato breeding program and its network of farmer and processor collaborators, who work hand-in-hand to develop new varieties grown across the country.

    Cornell’s outsize impact on the potato industry stems from having developed over 50 varieties, including the most-grown variety used nationwide for making potato chips, and varieties resistant to the invasive golden nematode (a devastating potato pest), said Walter De Jong, professor of plant breeding and genetics.

    “The processing quality of our potatoes is probably the best in the world, and that would not be possible without many decades of effort and cooperation between scientists, growers and processors,” De Jong said. “The breeding program I inherited was one with excellent communication between breeders and stakeholders – when I was interviewed at Cornell 20-some years ago, there was a potato grower even on the search committee. Those kinds of relationships are hard to start, but once they go, they’re fantastic.”

    Walter De Jong introduces recent Cornell potato varieties to farmers at an extension event he has been hosting every year for the past two decades. Photo: Pia Spychalla

    Protecting Potatoes from Pests

    Robert Plaisted, professor emeritus of plant breeding and genetics, oversaw Cornell’s potato breeding program for almost half a century, from 1956-2000. The biggest challenge he addressed was protecting potatoes from the invasive golden nematode, a microscopic worm that feeds on potato roots, stunting growth and drastically reducing yield. The nematode was first discovered in Long Island in 1941.

    The potato variety “Marcy” grows in front of the mountain in New York’s Adirondacks it is named after in 2003. Photo: Keith Perry

    “At the time, the control method was fumigation,” Plaisted said. “But a few years into the program, they discovered on the research farm that the well from which the irrigation water was being pumped had signs of the fumigant. The well water on Long Island is sacred, so they immediately prohibited the further application of the nematicide.”

    Along with breeders at Cornell and in Maine, Plaisted acquired wild South American potato varieties resistant to nematodes, and crossed them with Scottish seeds, better adapted for New York’s long daylight growing periods. The researchers began releasing golden nematode-resistant varieties that effectively controlled the pest, without the fumigant pesticide.

    Robert Plaisted is inspecting potato plants at Cornell AES’ Campus Area Farms in 2004, when he was leading Cornell’s potato breeding program. Photo: provided

    Since then, almost every Cornell variety released includes such resistance, De Jong said. And because Cornell varieties are so widely grown across the country, they are now used as breeding stock in other programs, so that resistant varieties are also being released by other breeders, he said. In the U.S., careful monitoring and regulation have prevented the pest from spreading outside New York – for now.

    “If golden nematodes ever do appear someplace else, there are resistant varieties being used everywhere,” De Jong said. “Out of everything our program has done, I’m most proud that we’ve spread nematode resistance across the country – it’s almost the equivalent of a vaccination.”

    Walter De Jong’s lab is producing fresh potato chips and enjoying a taste test as part of the evaluation. Photo: Allison Usavage

    Progress through collaboration

    The Mahany family understands better than most the devastation that can result from potato pests and diseases. The Irish potato famine of 1845 led Cain Mahany to immigrate from Ireland to North America, where he began a new potato farm in Maine. His descendants relocated to Arkport, New York in the mid-20th century, where the current Mahany Farms grows 2,300 acres of primarily potatoes, field corn and wheat.

    Photo Caption: Colorful potato varieties. Photo: Allison Usavage

    For at least 55 years, Mahany Farms has collaborated with Cornell potato breeders to test potential new varieties in real-world conditions, said grower Gary Mahany. In 1997, Plaisted named a new variety Reba after Gary’s mother, to honor the family’s long-term support of the program and all women in the potato industry, Mahany said.

    Participating in plant breeding trials means that almost every year, Cornell researchers come to the farm and provide seed potatoes of 10-12 potential new varieties. The growers watch for yield, pest and disease resistance, drought tolerance, storage quality, and factors important to their processors. The Mahanys grow potatoes for the Wise company, and for chipping, potatoes need to be small, round, not easily bruised, and have low water content, Mahany said. The family makes time in its busy schedule to participate in growing trials “because it matters,” he said.

    “We want to get a look at the new varieties as quick as we can, not just for ourselves but for other growers who don’t necessarily take the time,” Mahany said. “That’s the best way you can have input into whether a variety stays around or whether the breeding program drops it. It’s not just for us, it’s for everybody.”

    Cornell’s potato program produces and evaluates chips from their potato varieties. Photo: provided

    The success of Cornell’s breeding program comes in large part from the researchers’ active engagement with industry and growers, said Chris Hansen, general manager of CSS Farms in Bliss, NY. The Bliss farm has collaborated on testing new varieties for at least 30 years, and De Jong released a 2023 variety “Bliss” in honor of that relationship. The farm produces 70,000 tons of potatoes on 4,400 acres, and their crops go into Cape Cod, Kettle, Utz, Herr’s and Middlesworth potato chips.

    CSS Farms in Bliss, NY, has been testing Cornell’s new potato varieties for at least 30 years. Pictured: Chris Hansen, the farm’s general manager. Photo: Shanna Hansen

    Hansen also participates in the Variety Development Committee Cornell established to bring together growers and processors with potato breeders. The group has met every year for decades.

    “We’re able to give Walter feedback about what we need, what we want to see, and he listens and values our input – that’s been the success of the program, is everyone collaborating together and Walter making decisions based on that feedback,” Hansen said. “In my opinion, it’s the best program in the nation.”

    Potato breeder Walter De Jong and his field manager, Matt Falise, are discussing selection decisions during the harvest. Photo: Pia Spychalla

    Public support makes breakthroughs possible

    Cornell has supported potato breeding efforts almost since the university’s founding in 1865, as New York’s land grant university. Long-term, dedicated support to agricultural research is crucial for making the kinds of breakthroughs that powered the Green Revolution, such as developing varieties that are higher yielding, disease-resistant and best-adapted to various climates, said Margaret Smith, outgoing associate dean and director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Cornell AES). The station manages many of the farms and greenhouses where the university’s plant breeders conduct initial trials. Since 1887, Cornell AES has also distributed federal capacity funding (currently from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture) for states to perform research relevant to agriculture, environmental protection and community well-being.

    Plant breeding in particular requires consistent funding to maintain, because new variety development can take 10 years or more, and plant materials will die without facilities and staff to maintain them, Smith said.

    “You can’t just stop a breeding program and pick it up next year. When plants in a breeding nursery die, you’ve lost genetic materials that you can never recreate,” said Smith, who is also a corn breeder.

    The USDA also supports multi-state research projects, which enable researchers across state borders and disciplines to work together to address regional problems, said Toni DiTommaso, incoming associate dean and director of Cornell AES. Cornell’s potato breeders have participated in multi-state projects for many years, and De Jong currently serves on a collaborative potato breeding and variety development research group tasked with enhancing farm sustainability throughout the Eastern U.S.

    “Having that federal funding as a stable backdrop over time allows researchers to continue and progress with their work, which is critical because it often takes many years to achieve results,” DiTommaso said. “Like with agriculture itself, agricultural research requires a lot of patience and commitment.” — By Krisy Gashler, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station

  • NIFA Invests $21.7M in Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension

    USDA-NIFA’s Emergency Citrus Disease Research & Extension (ECDRE) program brings the nation’s top scientists together with citrus industry representatives to find scientifically sound solutions that combat and prevent citrus greening (HLB)​ at the farm-level. For the first time in the program’s history, NIFA is supporting an HLB-focused Coordination Network (CN) Project led by an interdisciplinary team of scientists representing all three major citrus producing states. This CN project will benefit the US citrus by providing a much-needed synthesis of existing HLB research in an easily accessible online database as well as developing region specific decision support tools for citrus industry stakeholders, the HLB-research community, and research organization administrators.

    Among the funded research includes virus-induced gene silencing at UC Davis using insect specific viruses to manipulate psyllid as a strategy to control HLB in citrus. Read about all the funded research projects HERE.