technology
Precision Ag: It’s all about meeting the needs of each plant
Precision agriculture tools are moving crop management away from treating all plants or trees in a field or orchard the same, said Chris Myers, a former John Deere executive and an advisor to a venture... more »
Ionized gas used for food safety
Start-up company NanoGuard Technologies is in the early phases of designing a technology that uses air and electricity to kill molds and pathogens on fruits, vegetables and other food, with a goal of replacing chemical... more »
Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge deadline bumped
The American Farm Bureau Federation and Farm Credit have extended the deadline for the 2024 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 10th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions... more »
Grower spending on automation jumps to $500K
Growers are spending an average of $500,000 a year on automation in response to the persistent ag labor shortage, according to the Specialty Crop Automation Report from Western Growers. This is the second year the Specialty... more »
PickTrace offers webinar on ag employment issues
PickTrace, whose workforce and productivity management software solution is designed for growers, is presenting a webinar on being prepared for audits from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour division. The 1.5-hour PickTrace webinar is... more »
Carbon Robotics adds $30 million in funds, deploys more LaserWeeders
Carbon Robotics, whose LaserWeeders will be in operation in 17 states this year, has received another $30 million in investments, for a total of $67 million for the AI robotics company. Carbon Robotics’ Series C... more »
FlightSensor provides pest surveillance
New digital insect surveillance technology could help growers better detect and manage pests. For decades, limited pest monitoring options have been available to growers prior to taking corrective action. Sticky traps are a time-consuming and... more »
Growers change plans to make up for labor shortage
The labor situation facing specialty crop growers in the U.S. can be illustrated with a single number: 371,619. That’s the number of H-2A temporary visas certified by the federal government in fiscal year 2022, and... more »
New approach helps Chill C Farms thwart labor shortages
A southern Georgia grower has found a novel way to help solve his labor headaches. Chill C Farms, a Moultrie, Georgia, grower and shipper of bell peppers, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, eggplant and hot peppers, recruits... more »
Virginia Tech seeks climate-smart vegetable production
Virginia Tech researchers in the Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture (CAIA) and the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) have received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator program to enhance vegetable production and food security in... more »