Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS submitted to
INTEGRATED SYSTEMS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN AUTOMATION AND SENSORS FOR SUSTAINABILITY OF SPECIALTY CROPS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1008972
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
CA-D-BAE-2335-RR
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
W-2009
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Dec 15, 2015
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Donis-Gonzalez, IR.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
410 MRAK HALL
DAVIS,CA 95616-8671
Performing Department
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Non Technical Summary
The increase desire for a safe and high quality food supply, and the need to minimize the environmental footprint, represents challenges for specialty crop sustainability in the US. Producers and processors are urgently seeking new devices and systems which will aid them during harvesting, sorting, storing, processing, packaging, marketing, and transportation while also minimizing input costs (energy and water). Currently, there is a lack of effective and efficient sensors and automation systems for specialty crops after harvest and during storage. For example, ideal monitoring of drying of walnuts during storage is still non-available, and better understanding and forecast of sweet cherry splitting is needed. This is because many of the underlying biological processes related to quality and condition of fruits, nuts, and vegetables are difficult to translate into engineering concepts. Biological variability, and storage facilities design makes it difficult to develop sensors and automation systems for effective implementation at various stages of harvest, and during postharvest handling. Additionally, obtaining measurement of internal biological attributes is difficult using external, nondestructive sensors, as such devices or processes used must adapt to a wide variation in shape, size, environment of use, and maturity of the commodity being processed. Thus it is imperative to develope better sensors and automation systems using an integrated systems approach. In addition, it is important to train and educate users of developed technology (growers, and processors), so designing extension and outreach activities and workshops is imperative.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
4021213202020%
4021112202020%
4041213202025%
4041112202025%
7121213106010%
Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins; 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems; 402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;

Subject Of Investigation
1112 - Cherry; 1213 - Walnut;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
Adapt biological concepts associated with specialty crop production, harvest, and postharvest handling into quantifiable parameters which can be sensed Study interactions between machinery and crop to provide basis for creating optimal mechanical and/or automated solutions for specialty crop production Develop sensors and sensing systems which can measure and interpret the parameters Design and evaluate automation systems which incorporate varying degrees of mechanization and sensors to assist specialty crop industries with labor, management decisions, and reduction of production costs
Project Methods
1) Integrate biological concepts (e.g. physical attributes, maturity, and maturity indices) and quantifiable parameters that can be sensed (invasive and noninvasive) after harvest and during storage, in relationship to specific specialty crop grower/processors needs. Invasive and non-invasive techniques after harvest include: Measuring firmness, texture, evaluation of quality attributes using color-vision, Near-infrared vision, computed tomography, spectroscopy, etc.Invasive and non-invasive techniques during storage include: Innovative biological sensing techniques, non-invasive water content determination, water activity inference, correlation of quality and safety attribute with storage relative humidity and temperature, etc.2) Facilitate communication through workshops and farm/processor visits of findings to stakeholders, growers and processors in specialty crop agriculture.3) Evaluate the practical application of developed quality and safety sensing technologies.

Progress 12/15/15 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:1) Farmers/growers, processors and students. 2) Project outreach will include the expected scientific papers, patents, seminars, workshops, and publications in the trade and popular press. Frequent communication with manufactures, growers, processors and the people who will be using the automated/sensing equipment, sets of standards to convey the design concepts learned to a wide audience of engineers and technicians, and educational modules which can be used practical applications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1) Multi-state meeting presentation for the 2018 W2009 meeting held in Biloxi, MS. 2) Seminars in annual research reviews for multiple commodity groups, including the California Cherry board, and the Walnut Grades and Standards board. 3) Workshops in the Postharvest Technology center, UC Davis. 4) Posters summarizing findings. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Will continue working on none-invasive sensing of quality and phenotype attributes of several products, though the W3009 project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Developed and currently evaluating a Sensors capable of measuring and monitoring Water activity and moisture measurements of dried walnuts. 2) Evaluate the usage of non-invasive techniques to determine internal quality attributes to study of apples microstructure using micro-Computed tomography (CT). 3) Evaluated the use of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict quality attributes for table grapes, peaches and cherries.

Publications


    Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

    Outputs
    Target Audience:) Farmers/growers, processors and students. 2) Project outreach will include the expected scientific papers, patents, seminars, workshops, and publications in the trade and popular press. Frequent communication with manufactures, growers, processors and the people who will be using the automated/sensing equipment, sets of standards to convey the design concepts learned to a wide audience of engineers and technicians, and educational modules which can be used practical applications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?) Currently working with undergraduate students in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the developmental stage of a water activity and moisture measurements sensor for dried walnuts. 2) Seminars in annual research reviews for multiple commodity groups, including the the Walnut Grades and Standards board, W2009 annual meeting. 3) One-to-one meetings with growers in the state of california regarding the application of quality meters (Walnuts, peaches, and table grapes). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1) Seminars in annual research reviews for multiple commodity groups, including the California Cherry board, and the Walnut Grades and Standards board. 2) Departmental Seminar. 3) Workshops in the Postharvest Technology center, UC Davis. 4) Posters summarizing findings. 5) Published article. 5) One-to-one meetings with outreach representatives, advisors and extension agents. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1)Technology (sensor) development. 2) Research and extension publications in the design of specialty crop technologies. 3) Training farmers and agro-food processors in the usage and concepts of specialty postharvest sensing equipment. 4) Seminars and other continuing education opportunities.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Evaluation of a Sensors capable of measuring and monitoring Water activity and moisture measurements of dried walnuts. 2) Evaluation of a low-cost dryness indicator for dried produce. 2) Development of non-invasive techniques to determine internal quality attributes to study of apples microstructure using micro-Computed tomography (CT). 3) Assessment of commercially available, portable, non-invasive produce quality spectrometers (Scio by Consumer Physics and F-750 by Felix instruments).

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: DryCardTM  A Low-Cost Dryness Indicator for Dried Products James F. Thompson, Michael S. Reid, Lucia Felix, Irwin Donis-Gonzalez, Bertha Mjawa, and Jane Ambuko. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2(4): 339-344. DOI: 10.3934/agrfood.2017.4.339


    Progress 12/15/15 to 09/30/16

    Outputs
    Target Audience:1) Farmers/growers, processors and students. 2) Project outreach will include the expected scientific papers, patents, seminars, workshops, and publications in the trade and popular press. Frequent communication with manufactures, growers, processors and the people who will be using the automated/sensing equipment, sets of standards to convey the design concepts learned to a wide audience of engineers and technicians, and educational modules which can be used practical applications. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1) Currently working with a Senior design group (3 senior students) in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in the developmental stage of a water activity and moisture measurements sensor for dried walnuts. 2. Seminars in annual research reviews for multiple commodity groups, including the California Cherry board, and the Walnut Grades and Standards board. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?1) Seminars in annual research reviews for multiple commodity groups, including the California Cherry board, and the Walnut Grades and Standards board. 2) Departmental Seminar. 3) Workshops in the Postharvest Technology center, UC Davis. 4) Posters summarizing findings. 5) Published book as reported in Product section. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1)Technology (sensor) development. 2) Research and extension publications in the design of specialty crop technologies. 3) Training farmers and agro-food processors in the usage and concepts of specialty postharvest sensing equipment. 4) Seminars and other continuing education opportunities.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Developed and currently evaluating a Sensors capable of measuring and monitoring Water activity and moisture measurements of dried walnuts. 2) Evaluate the usage of non-invasive techniques to determine internal quality attributes to study of apples microstructure using micro-Computed tomography (CT). 3) Evaluated the use of Near-Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to predict sweet cherry cracking.

    Publications