technology

CES 2022 is stage as John Deere reveals fully autonomous 8R Tractor

Available to farmers later this year, the fully autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, which enable 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance, and constantly checks its position to within less than an inch of accuracy. more »

Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops tracks sustainability

In partnership with CropTrak's technology, users across the supply chain can baseline the environmental impacts of nuts and other crops and identify opportunities for improvement. more »

Agricultural microbe product startup wins $250,000 in AgSharks competition

After competing against four other finalists, 3Bar Biologics will receive international recognition, access to an expansive and valuable network, mentoring, and the opportunity to take its microbe tech to market. more »

Irrigation for drought, fertility resilience in almond systems awarded

$25 million for 18 On-Farm Trials projects across the country will help partners work with producers to test and adopt climate-smart systems. more »

OpenET aims to track water use across 17 Western states

A public-private coalition, featuring three federal agencies and several universities and private entities, is providing satellite-based estimates of evapotranspiration for better water management. more »

Robotic pollination for aiding wind pollination boosts pistachios

Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture is preparing to offer artificial pollination services to pistachio growers in California in April 2022 after successful trials boosted yields 24%. more »

Irrigation and stormwater tracked to recharge the groundwater below

USDA awarded $10 million to University of California, Merced, for a 4-year initiative studying how irrigation and stormwater can travel to recharge the groundwater. more »

Proposals sought for technologies that ‘help level the playing field’

Agricultural innovations are often out of reach for smaller family farms. Community Alliance with Family Farmers is accepting applications for its Small Farm Innovation Challenge. Any size idea in any stage of development is welcome. more »

AgTech Breakthrough presents crop protection award to Vive Crop Protection

The company has successfully created six new fungicide and insecticide products using trusted active ingredients with its patented and innovative nano-polymer technology. more »

AI institute expands UC Merced’s smart, sustainable agriculture effort

As one of 11 new institutes launched by the National Science Foundation this year and armed with a $20 million federal grant, University of California, Merced, will be tackling some of the most pressing issues in agriculture. more »