California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Explore Tools That UC Researchers Use With Smallholder Farmers Around the World

    Davis, Calif., (July 27, 2017) – Planted in a corner of the UC Davis campus is a display of technologies and vegetable crops that researchers with the Horticulture Innovation Lab have been using with farmers in Africa, Asia and Central America. Led by UC ANR’s Elizabeth Mitcham in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, this program harnesses the agricultural expertise of a network of U.S. university researchers to improve how farmers in developing countries grow fruits and vegetables.

    More often than not, the learning goes both ways: Adapting solutions for farmers on another continent can spark ideas that might be useful back home too.

    So while the Horticulture Innovation Lab’s Demonstration Center was built to showcase international work to campus visitors, you wouldn’t be the first to wonder, “Would this technology work on a California farm too?”

    Recently a team from UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County — led by Ruth Dahlquist-Willard, UC Cooperative Extension advisor for small farms in Fresno and Tulare counties — worked with the Horticulture Innovation Lab to learn how to build one of these technologies, to try out with local farmers.

    The low-cost technology they built, called a “chimney solar dryer,” combines continuous air flow with solar heat  to dry fresh produce more efficiently than a traditional solar dryer. It was designed by the innovative duo Michael Reid and Jim Thompson, both emeritus specialists with UC Cooperative Extension who have worked on multiple inventions with the Horticulture Innovation Lab. The chimney solar dryer is usually built with basic materials, such as plywood, dark plastic, clear plastic, and food-grade mesh. Read more about how the chimney solar dryer can help farmers add value to crop surplus (PDF).

    Here is a quick look at a couple of other technologies that visitors can see at the demonstration center:

    A low-cost cold room – equipped with a CoolBot, solar panels and household air conditioner – is on display to show UC Davis visitors one way to cool and store fresh fruits and vegetables off the grid. These visitors were participants in the UC Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops short course this summer. Photo by Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis.

    This solar-powered cold room uses a tool designed by an American farmer, called a CoolBot. In a well-insulated room, a CoolBot can trick a household air conditioner into bringing temperatures down low enough for cool storage of fresh produce. Cooling fruits and vegetables soon after harvest from the field can reduce postharvest losses and extend shelf life. So far teams with the Horticulture Innovation Lab have used the CoolBot with farmers in Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India and Honduras.

    Read more about how this farmer’s invention is reducing postharvest losses around the world.

    A delegation of deans from agricultural colleges in Ethiopia listen to a short presentation about building a zero-energy cool chamber (ZECC) with bricks and sand, led by Khush Bakht Aalia, center, and Angelos Deltsidis, right, both of the Horticulture Innovation Lab. Photo by Brenda Dawson/UC Davis

    The zero-energy cool chamber (known as ZECC) is a simple structure built from brick and sand that can help cool fresh produce, in conditions where evaporative cooling is effective. By regularly wetting the sand and brick, farmers or even marketers can keep the temperatures low and the humidity high for fresh produce such as leafy greens. Researchers with the Horticulture Innovation Lab have been testing what specific conditions — such as hot, arid climates with easy access to water — make this tool effective for farmers to use to cool their fresh fruits and vegetables.

    More information about the ZECC is available from the UC Postharvest Technology Center.

    Recent visits to the Horticulture Innovation Lab’s demonstration center have come in many shapes and sizes — from people walking by who stopped to read some of the signs, to group activities planned in advance. Recent tours of the center have included a delegation of deans from agricultural colleges in Ethiopia, a television news crew from Tajikistan and high school students from California learning about innovation and human-centered design.

    Next time you’re on the UC Davis campus, consider dropping by the Horticulture Innovation Lab demonstration center. You can find it on the campus map, or contact the team for a more focused tour.

    Maybe it will spark an innovative idea that you can use in your fields?

    UC Davis and ANR researchers attach clear plastic to a “chimney” frame in Fresno as they work together to build a chimney solar dryer for local growers to try. This low-cost technology was originally designed for Horticulture Innovation Lab researchers to use with farmers in developing countries. From left: Carrie Waterman of UC Davis, Jacob Roberson of UCCE Fresno, UC Davis student Michelle Boutelle, Michael Yang of UCCE Fresno and Angelos Deltsidis of UC Davis. Photo by Archie Jarman/UC Davis

    Here is a working chimney solar dryer on the UC Davis campus. Grad student Nick Reitz, left, adjusts the plastic cover over trays of sliced mango with help from Archie Jarman, right, of the Horticulture Innovation Lab. Reitz was practicing using the dryer before working with farmers in Ghana.

    This week the Horticulture Innovation Lab Demonstration Center hosted a media crew from Tajikistan, shown here talking with Angelos Deltsidis, center, about using solar dryers for drying apricots in Tajikistan. Photo by Khush Bakht Aalia for the Horticulture Innovation Lab.

  • UC Scientist Gives Orchards a Whole New Color

    Parlier, Calif., (July 26, 2017) – For centuries, farmers have used all the colors of the rainbow to assess their orchards: The bright pink of blossoms in springtime, the vibrant green of heathy leaves, the red blush on fruit ready to harvest.

    However, there are wavelengths beyond what a typical human eye can see that also provide valuable information about the crop – including tree vigor, plant stress, water use and fertilizer needs.

    UC Cooperative Extension agricultural engineering advisor Ali Pourreza is peering into these previously invisible colorations to create a virtual orchard that will quickly, easily and inexpensively allow farmers and scientists to manage orchards for optimum production.

    To develop his first virtual orchards, Pourreza launched a camera-equipped drone over an orchard at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. As the drone flies over the trees, it snaps thousands of photos and, using photogrammetry and software that stiches the images together, makes a three-dimensional point cloud model of the orchard.

    A computer program can make colors that are invisible to the human eye – such as near infrared, red edge and ultraviolet – into imagery that illuminates key crop health indicators. Near infrared indicates the amount of healthy foliage, plant vigor and crop type. If the trees have low near infrared values, it means the plants are under stress. Red edge indicates plant stress and nitrogen content. High red edge values indicate nitrogen stress and low water content in plant tissues.

    UCCE ag engineer Ali Pourreza views the virtual orchard on his computer.

    “We are currently working on developing models to help growers determine their fertilization demands and have been contrasting the results from real orchards with the virtual orchard,” Brown said. “We have already utilized the approach to contrast the estimates of tree growth and yield with whole tree excavations and harvests to help validate the virtual approach and provide a more accurate estimate of tree nitrogen demand.”

    Ultimately, Brown hopes to develop a way for growers to rapidly and cheaply estimate the nitrogen demand of their orchards, monitor the status of their orchards and manage nitrogen fertilizer applications.

    In addition to the color variations brought to light by the virtual orchard, the system provides detailed data on other aspects of the crop development.

    “We can learn canopy height and width, the spacing between the trees, total leaf area, canopy density and the amount of shaded area in the orchard,” Poureza said.

    This data is of interest to scientists studying plant development, soil health and irrigation.

    For example, UCCE agricultural water management specialist Daniele Zaccaria is researching the impact of soil-water salinity on water use by pistachio trees in the San Joaquin Valley.

    “In our on-going research study we are characterizing the functional relationships between soil-water salinity, canopy size and density and evapotranspiration of pistachio trees through the light interception by the canopy,” Zaccaria said. “We plan to work with Ali to see how the virtual orchard approach can represent that and simulate the physical process of soil evaporation and tree transpiration as a result of different canopy sizes and densities intercepting different amounts of solar radiation.”

    Zaccaria said he also plans to deploy a similar approach to understand how different canopy sizes, planting densities and row orientations found in commercial citrus orchards in the San Joaquin Valley – from navel oranges, to mandarins and lemons – can affect the citrus water demand and use.

    In addition to the rich data that scientists can glean from the virtual technology, Pourreza envisions many applications of this technology for farmers, including yield forecasting, blossom mapping, variable pesticide application and robotic harvesting.

    View a video on YouTube produced by the scientist, Ali Pourreza. The video shows images of the virtual orchard.

  • Valley Ventures Seeking Applicants For Its Next Entrepreneur Cohort

    Fresno, Calif., (July 26, 2017) – The Valley Ventures Accelerator at Fresno State is accepting applications through Aug. 15 for its next cohort of entrepreneurs with start-up companies in the water, agriculture and energy technology industries.

    The four-month cohort provides professional direction for emerging companies on how to grow in size, value and profitability in preparation for an initial round of funding.

    Companies accepted into the program must show an economic impact in the region and the potential to use scarce resources more efficiently. Other evaluation criteria include companies’ scalability, potential return, highest impact, fundability, commercial value, personnel skills and leadership.

    “Whether your startup is looking to establish clientele in the Central Valley agricultural community or raise venture capital, Valley Ventures can provide guidance on creating a foundation for future success,” said project coordinator Benjamin Francis. “We have taken a proven curriculum and structured it to tap into our region’s reputation for innovative companies in the natural resource and agricultural industries. Mentors, handpicked to represent the best of their respective industries, will help entrepreneurs develop sales, investments and industry connections.”

    Participants will also take part in exercises and learning modules led by Central Valley professionals, investors, industry and technical experts, successful entrepreneurs and target consumers.

    The three-year program is coordinated by the International Center for Water Technology and BlueTechValleyand made possible by a $500,000 federal grant through the Regional Innovation Strategies i6 Challenge and Seed Fund Support Grants competition. Additional campus support is provided by Fresno State staff from the Center for Irrigation Technology and Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center.

    The program is housed at the WET Center at Fresno State and adjacent to the 1,000-acre University Agricultural Laboratory and the Jordan Agricultural Research Center.

    For more information on the program, contact Benjamin Francis at 559.270.7121, bfrancis@mail.fresnostate.edu or visit www.valleyventures.org.

  • UCR Research Showing How Nematodes Use Smell To Select New Insect Hosts Could Improve Biological Control Of Crop Pests

    Riverside, Calif., (July 26, 2017) – Tiny eel-like creatures called nematodes are surrounding us. While they can be free-living (a cup of soil or seawater contains thousands), the most well-known nematodes are the parasitic kind that wreak havoc in people, animals and plants.

    Despite their reputation, scientists at the University of California, Riverside are studying nematodes as a force for good: to kill insects that infect crops and trees.

    In a paper published today in Scientific Reports, a team led by Adler Dillman, assistant professor of parasitology in UCR’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, has shown how nematodes use smell to seek out uninfected insects, which they then enter and kill. The findings support the group’s long-term goal of improving how gardeners and the agricultural industry use nematodes in biological pest management.

    Nematodes, which are transparent or milky white unsegmented worms between 0.1 and 2.5 millimeters long, represent a whopping 80 percent of all animal life on earth. The varieties that infect insects, such as the Steinernema carpocapsae species studied at UCR, enter their hosts through natural body openings, replicate, and secrete a deadly cocktail of proteins. These nematodes show promise as biological insecticides for more than 250 pests that attack plants such as corn, oranges, tomatoes, peaches, and pine trees.

    Insects (like the larva shown in this figure) that have been infested with nematodes emit an odor called prenol that repels other nematodes seeking a host.

    Insects (like the larva shown in this figure) that have been infested with nematodes emit an odor called prenol that repels other nematodes seeking a host.

    While previous research has shown that nematodes can differentiate between insects that have already been infected and those that have not, the mechanism by which this occurs has remained a mystery. In the current study, the researchers discovered that infected insects emit an odor called prenol that is repulsive to nematodes looking for a new host.

    “The nematodes are using odors like prenol to identify insects that are already infested and therefore not worth infecting because they have depleted resources. Instead the parasites are more likely to choose insects that are not emitting prenol, since those represent untapped resources,” said Tiffany Baiocchi, a graduate student in Dillman’s lab and the lead author on the paper.

    An unexpected plot twist was the team’s finding that some insect larvae are attracted to prenol, suggesting the same odor that signals nematodes to steer clear of an infected insect may also attract uninfected insects to that area.

    “This is a cunning way of attracting new hosts for the generation of nematodes that will emerge from the infected insect cadaver. The way that nematodes can essentially engineer the recruitment of new insects toward them is certainly something we can exploit in our efforts to improve nematode-based biological control,” said Dillman, who is a a member of UC Riverside’s Institute for Integrative Genome Biology and the Center for Disease Vector Research.

    The title of the paper is “Host Seeking Parasitic Nematodes Use Specific Odors to Assess Host Resources.” In addition to Dillman and Baiocchi, contributors include: Grant Lee, an undergraduate researcher, and Dong-Hwan Choe, an assistant professor in entomology, who used mass spectrometry to help identify the odors. The work as supported by the National Institutes of Health.

    Below is a short video showing the life cycle of insect-killing parasites known as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs).

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  • Update on Wine Grape Exemption Status from FSMA

    Unfortunately, wine grapes have been looped into FDA’s Produce Safety Rule in the Food Safety Modernization Act, in spite of the fact that they are not consumed fresh off the vine. The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) has been employing every effort in fighting the unreasonable regulations associated with this, and working to get an exemption. Watch this brief video interview with John Aguirre, President of the association as he provides an update on their progress at the CAWG summer conference in Napa.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – Another hot and mostly dry week across the State as a typical summertime weather pattern set up with mid-level ridging over the Great Basin brought dry air into most of the State.  The summer monsoon began to ramp up last week, bringing some much-needed rainfall to parts of the southern and interior deserts. Scattered showers fell on parts of the desert on Tuesday and Wednesday, with most places receiving less than a quarter of an inch. A few isolated sprinkles fell in the central and southern Sierras on Sunday, along with more widespread showers in the southern deserts that dropped an additional quarter inch of rain in most places.

    Hot temperatures continued to melt the snow in the mountains. Mt. Whitney was devoid of snow, while snow still blanketed parts of the Shasta Peak. A few isolated patchy snow fields still existed at elevations over 11,500 feet in the region of the Stanislaus National Forest.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 90s in the desert.

    Barley harvest was completed. Alfalfa fields were being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn and sorghum for silage were still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages of development, from already tasseling to developing ears. Wheat harvest for grain was completed. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well. Cotton was forming squares and blooming. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Mid-season peaches, nectarines, and plums continued to be picked and shipped to both domestic and foreign markets. Stone fruit continued to be exported.  Summer pruning and topping of harvested stone fruit groves were occurring.  Valencia orange harvest continued primarily for the domestic market. Regreening was becoming more common due to the higher temperatures.  Olives continued to develop. Table grape were harvested.  Wine grapes were maturing well and irrigation continued.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.  New almond orchards were planted. Pistachios were fertilized.  Walnuts were sizing well.

    In Colusa County, the processing tomato harvest continued.  In San Joaquin County, harvest was ongoing for cantaloupes, honeydew melons, watermelons, and fresh vegetable crops.  The second planting of cantaloupe was underway for late summer and fall harvest.   In Fresno County, harvest continued for tomatoes with lower yields than expected. Onions and garlic were harvested.  Onion seed was dried.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Sweet corn harvest continued and was sold at roadside stands and local Farmers’ Markets.  Melons were irrigated and prepared for the upcoming harvest.

    Low elevation rangeland continued as dry with conditions as fair to good, but quality continued to decrease.  Cattle were moved to higher elevations; where higher elevations were providing more grass than in previous years.  Feed cost for cattle remained high.  Nursery shipments were slowing overall.  Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets decreased due to the hot summer temperatures.  Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continued to be sold.

  • Citrus Growers Reaffirm Support For State’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – California growers have affirmed the extension of a cooperative effort in response to the most serious threat to the state’s citrus crops.  Years before the discovery of the citrus pest the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) in California in 2008 and the subsequent detection in 2012 of Huanglongbing (HLB), the disease spread by the ACP, California’s citrus growers had begun preparations for the arrival of this dual threat. Research and education efforts began well before the pest and disease were detected in Southern California, and since then a governing committee of citrus industry representatives has guided the state’s comprehensive response and advised the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

    Huanglongbing is fatal for citrus trees and has no cure. The disease has been detected in more than 70 citrus trees in California, which have all been in urban areas of Los Angeles and Orange counties and have been removed. The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program (CPDPP) — funded through industry assessments and state and federal funds — guides efforts to limit spread of the disease and the ACP, which can spread HLB from tree to tree as it feeds.

    The program was created in 2009 by legislation that included requirements for periodic hearings to review progress and give the industry and the public an opportunity to weigh in. Following a recent series of such hearings, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has determined it will continue the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program.

    “It has never been more important to protect California’s citrus farmers, which represent a $3 billion economic driver for our state and 20,000 jobs,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The feedback CDFA received from the industry was overwhelmingly supportive of this program.”

    Five hearings were held in June in citrus production areas to determine whether the program and its governing committee, both established in 2009, should continue for four more years. All comments received at the public hearings and in written submissions to the Department were supportive. No question of opposition was raised. Therefore, the Department determined a referendum is not warranted.

    “This program has evolved as the threat of the Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing has progressed in the state, which is one of the reasons we’ve been successful at keeping the disease out of commercial groves,” said Nick Hill, chairman of the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee. “Having learned from our partners in Florida, outreach has occurred throughout the state and to urban areas, treatment coordinators have been engaged to make sure growers are working together for maximum effectiveness against the pest, and scientific research has been supported.”

    Continuation of the program reinforces the collaboration of the citrus industry, agriculture officials, researchers and the general public as they work together to save California citrus from HLB. Florida’s citrus industry has been decimated by the disease. An estimated 68.7 million boxes of citrus were harvested during Florida’s 2016-2017 harvest season compared to a record high of 244 million in 1997-1998

    Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee meetings are open to the public. For a calendar of upcoming meetings, visit cdfa.ca.gov/citruscommittee/. For regional and statewide news related to citrus pests and diseases, sign up for emails at citrusinsider.org/.

  • Show your support for Temperance Flat Project

    Fresno, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, along with every one of us who live and work here, have reached a deciding moment in our decades-long quest to develop and construct additional surface water storage facilities. Now, each of us needs to step up and help make it a reality!

    Temperance Flat Reservoir would be located on the San Joaquin River in the foothills northeast of Fresno. Its dam would actually be located in the upper portion of the Central Valley Project’s Millerton Lake. It would be a huge project, creating an additional 1.26 million acre-feet of water storage. That would add up to 1.78 million acre feet or be 3.4 times the existing capacity in Millerton Lake behind Friant Dam. It is critically needed.

    We’re asking you to reach out by letter to those in Sacramento and let them know why Temperance Flat is so important.

    It is important that you write your letter in your own words using all or some of the points listed below!  Click here to see FCFB’s letter.

    Please write and mail or e-mail letters to members and staff of the California Water Commission, the agency that will make the decision on whether or not water bond funding will be made available for Temperance Flat.

    The California Water Commission and its staff need to know that the valley favors and vitally requires this project. Tell them that Temperance Flat must be funded and built to:

    • Help address the broad negative effects of California’s water supply crisis on the valley, which requires much improved surface water availability and reliability south of the Delta – as Temperance Flat’s 1.26 million acre-feet of storage would provide – for use by valley farmers, residents and businesses.
    • Capture high flows as they are occurring in big water years with surface storage that will permit capacity for gradual conveyance and percolation without which implementing and meeting the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act’s mandates will not be possible.
    • Greatly improve San Joaquin River flood protection and minimize flood release water losses to the ocean.
    • Provide San Joaquin River environmental enhancement water.
    • Tremendously increase overall regional water management and supply flexibility.

    Here is who to contact, by e-mail or U.S. mail, with your comments:

    Attention: California Water Commissioners and Executive Director

    California Water Commission

    P.O. Box 942836

    Sacramento, California 94236-0001

    Email: CWC@water.ca.gov
    Mr. Joe Yun, Executive Director

    California Water Commission

    P.O. Box 942836

    Sacramento, California 94236-0001

    Email: joseph.yun@water.ca.gov

    If possible, please provide copies to FCFB at info@fcfb.org or 1274 W. Hedges Ave., Fresno, CA 93728.

     

  • International Achievers: Kornbluth, Mitcham, Bennett

    Davis, Calif., (July 24, 2017) – Kurt Kornbluth and Elizabeth Mitcham are the recipients of UC Davis’ inaugural Chancellor’s International Engagement Achievement Awards, while Alan Bennett received an honorable mention.

    The award recipients: Elizabeth Mitcham, second from left; Kurt Kornbluth, center; and Alan Bennett, second from right. They are flanked by Ralph J. Hexter, interim chancellor, and Joanna Regulska, vice provost and associate chancellor of Global Affairs. (Chanae Allred/UC Davis photo)

    Interim Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter presented the awards during a ceremony in the multipurpose room of the new International Center.

    “Our tendency to form strong global connections and think beyond borders is one of the reasons why the Times Higher Education rankings this year rated us the fourth most international public university in the nation,” Hexter said.

    Joanna Regulska, vice provost and associate chancellor of Global Affairs, said the new awards program — open to all full-time faculty and staff — aligns with her unit’s efforts to:

    • “Interconnect all at UC Davis by inspiring global curiosity, understanding and engagement.”
    • “Develop and support the capacity of all members of the UC Davis community — faculty, students, scholars, staff and alumni — to successfully engage in building and sustaining partnerships, collaborative research initiatives, and academic and teaching programs with international peer institutions, partners and colleagues.
    • “Expand upon the impactthat UC Davis is making toward solving global problems, educating an interculturally competent citizenry and engaging in world-class research.”

    Kurt Kornbluth

    He is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the College of Engineering, and founding director of the Program for International Energy Technologies, which, through its D-Lab courses, involves students in solving real-life energy problems in developing countries.

    His nominator, Jean VanderGheynst, professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, said: “In an era of food, water, energy and climatic uncertainty, it is critical to acknowledge the faculty leaders who are developing roadmaps to climate neutrality, engaging students and scholars in problem-oriented, client focused learning, and sharing ideas and resources with faculty and researchers from UC Davis, the UC and universities abroad.”

    Indeed, she said, Kornbluth “has initiated substantial international teaching, research and service efforts in climate neutrality, and for this reason is an ideal candidate for the Chancellor’s International Engagement award.”

    She cited as an example the Kornbluth-led Lighting the Way Zambia project. “The economic, health and environmental costs of kerosene, candles and other fuel-based lighting are well documented,” VanderGheynst said. So, with funding from the World Bank, PIET designed, manufactured and distributed portable solar lights.

    Elizabeth Mitcham

    She is the director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Horticulture (Horticulture Innovation Lab, for short) in the Department of Plant Sciences. Nominated by Helene Dillard, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

    “The lab advances fruit and vegetable research to support the needs of smallholder farmers in developing countries,” Dillard wrote. “As part of this initiative, the Horticulture Innovation Lab has collaborated with more than 18 U.S. universities and 200 organizations in Latin America, Africa and Asia with projects spanning the horticultural value chain.”

    “Over the years, many of the projects led by UC Davis faculty with UC Davis graduate students and researchers, have led to national and international collaborations with other universities and research organizations.”

    Mitcham has been a faculty member and Cooperative Extension postharvest specialist since 1992. Through her long affiliation with the university’s Postharvest Technology Center (she’s a former director), she has trained agricultural professionals from more than 40 countries.

    “She has contributed to long-lasting horticultural science as a way to improve health and nutrition globally, while enhancing the role of women in developing countries,” Dillard wrote. “She has been an inspiration for many students, staff, and faculty for her commitment to international development activities.”

    Alan Bennett

    He is a distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, founder and executive director of the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center, and executive director of the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture, or PIPRA.

    “Throughout his career, Dr. Bennett has consistently demonstrated his vision and dedication in driving international programs for domestic and global academic institutions,” wrote his nominator, Pablo Zamora, associate director of the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center.

    “By working closely with 60 universities and the Rockefeller Foundation, he was able to structure a public initiative (PIPRA) to drive patented agricultural technologies for international development. …  Furthermore, he used this platform, with the support of the UC Davis School of Law, to found the Licensing Academy whose successful, ongoing mission is to train technology managers in more than 50 developing countries.”

    Bennett founded the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center in 2015, collaborating with the Chilean government in its intent to cultivate international climate through technology and innovation.

    “UC Davis-Chile has had profound impact and continues to be a pioneer in the internationalization of UC Davis in Latin America. These highlighted contributions exemplify Alan’s continuous efforts to achieve the university’s land-grant mission at home and abroad.”

  • Pumpkin Festival, October 7 and 8 • 8am-5pm

    Pomona, Calif., (July 24, 2017) – Cal Poly Pomona’s Pumpkin Festival is one of the largest in the state with more than 60,000 locally grown pumpkins. The two day festival is the kick-off event for PumpkinFest, “A MONTH of ORANGE FUN” which goes through October 31. Cal Poly Pomona’s AGRIscapes Center will once again host the month of events including Pumpkin Field Trips, the Huge Pumpkin Patch and Farm Store. Last year more than 100,000 people visited AGRIscapes during the month of October.

Event Highlights
Please join us to celebrate the Festival’s 25th Year with some fun surprises. There will be family fun activities where visitors can select farm-fresh pumpkins, enjoy our amazing and fun Corn Maze, visit the animals in our Petting Farm and new this year a Tractor-Pulled Hay Wagon. There will be live music, games sponsored by student clubs and delicious festival food!

    A popular returning attraction is Ag Discovery Lane, featuring an even larger variety of exhibits and demonstrations. The Children’s area will feature more fun games, squash tunnels and interactive activities along with our very popular Kid’s Patch. This is an excellent opportunity to promote your organization to visitors throughout the region. 

*Proceeds from the event support Huntley College of Agriculture student clubs and outreach activities.