Non Technical Summary
We are unaware of any research collaborations, in which the three frontier technologies in this project (optical sensing, cold plasma, and advanced lighting) are being integrated synergistically. Each frontier technology is associated with a strong track record of being relevant to improved organic crop production, and preliminary data included in this proposal demonstrate our experience with each of them. Additionally, the transferability of project results into commercial crop production operations is considered very high as each frontier technology is commercialized by different companies. As examples, the following are some of the commercial companies, which offer cold plasma solutions to the agricultural sector: Plasma waters (https://plasmawaters.com/) and Vital fluid (https://vitalfluid.com/). On their website, Vital fluid describes several on-going projects with organic growers, in which PAW is used as a fertilizer, particularly as a source of nitrogen for plants and in different pest management applications (mainly of fungal pathogens). Vital fluid and another commercial producer of cold plasma systems (www.plasmatreat.com) have both provided strong letters of support to this proposal. Greenhouse lighting technologies are widely available and electric installations are often in place as supplemental lighting is a frequent practice in organic tomato production. As an example, Co-PD Mattson is co-lead of the Greenhouse Lighting and Systems Engineering (GLASE) consortium (https://glase.org/), in which research and testing of lighting systems is a major priority and is being conducted in close collaboration with manufacturers of lighting systems. We will develop and deliver technology-based solutions, in which three frontier technologies will be integrated and applied in several ways to organic tomato production.

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	1460	1070	25%
212	1460	1160	10%
216	1460	1130	25%
404	1460	2020	40%

Knowledge Area
212 - Pathogens and Nematodes Affecting Plants; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems; 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1460 - Tomato;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1070 - Ecology; 1160 - Pathology;

Goals / Objectives
This new application of a 3-year integrated project brings together a multi-institution and multi-state community of needed participants to address some of the most important challenges faced by organic specialty crop transplant producers. This project aims to test and promote three frontier technologies to: 1) significantly increase adoption of organic tomato production, and 2) increase productivity of existing organic tomato production systems. The overarching project hypothesis is that integration of three frontier technologies (optical sensing, atmospheric cold plasma, and advanced lighting) can markedly increase seed germination, seedling growth and vigor, nutritional quality, and pest management in organic tomato production. We will develop and deliver technology-based solutions, in which three frontier technologies will be integrated and applied in several ways to organic tomato production.

Project Methods
Objective 1. Project management.Activity 1.1: Project management of activities (years 1-3).Activity 1.2: Project meetings with advisory board (years 1-3). PD Nansen will organize two annual virtual (zoom) project meetings with the advisory board, in PDs and other project team members will update on project status and receive feedback on planned activities.Activity 1.3: Project data management (years 1-3). PD Nansen and postdocs in his lab will be responsible for successful execution of a data management plan attached.Activity 1.4: Project management - reporting and budget (years 1-3). PD Nansen will be responsible for annual reporting to NIFA.Activity 1.5: Project evaluation (years 1 and 3). Mr. Zach Bagley from the California Tomato Research Institute is on the project advisory board and has also agreed to serve as External evaluator.Objective 2. Optimization of plasma activated water (PAW). Co-PD Annor has the overall coordination responsibility and will be assisted by Dr. Trimukhe.Activity 2.1: Experimental production of PAW (Year 1-2). Co-PD Annor and Dr. Trimukhe conduct parallel and complementary experiments and examine PAW characteristics in response to a wide range of experimental conditions.Activity 2.2: Shelf life of PAW (Year 1-2). Water produced by Co-PD Annor and Dr. Trimukhe will be stored in glass containers for about two months and monitored for any changes in their composition.Activity 2.3: Analyses of PAW samples (Year 1-2). Co-PD Annor and Dr. Trimukhe will analyze PAW and non-PAW water samples.Objective 3. Optical sensing as quality control of seeds and seedlings. PD Nansen and Dr Savi will be responsible for successful execution of all activities under this objective. Rationale: inclusion of this frontier technology is supported by a large body of knowledge and preliminary data in this proposal.Activity 3.1: Optical sensing of tomato seeds and seedlings (year 1-3). Existing optical sensing hardware and software in the Nansen lab represent significant in-kind contributions to this project.Activity 3.2: Optical sensing-based quality control of PAW treatments (years 1-3). A After radiometric filtering, we will develop and optimize classification algorithms. Performance (accuracy and robustness) of different machine learning algorithms will be compared.Objective 4. Use of PAW to optimize seed germination and seedling growth. Inclusion of this frontier technology is supported by a large body of knowledge and preliminary data in this proposal.Activity 4.1: Screening of tomato seed germination (years 1-2). Dr. Savi (UC Davis) and co-PD Mattson and Cornell graduate student will perform screening of tomato seed germination in response to PAW treatments.Activity 4.2: Screening of tomato seedling vigor (years 1-2). Based on results from project activity 4.1, select PAW treatments will be advanced for screening of seedling vigor by Dr. Savi at UC Davis and at Cornell by co-PD Mattson and graduate student.Activity 4.3: Nitrogen benefits of PAW (years 2-3). Under organically certified greenhouse conditions, co-PD Mattson and a graduate student will grow tomato seedlings as described under activity 4.2, except that organically approved N-fertilization.Objective 5. Use of advanced lighting in pest management. Inclusion of this frontier technology is supported by a large body of knowledge and preliminary data in this proposal.Activity 5.1: Light screening to improve pest management (years 1-3). Dr. Savi and PD Nansen will be responsible for performing behavioral studies of phototaxis (response to light) by two-spotted spider mites and western flower thrips.Activity 5.2: Light-based manipulation of spider mites (years 2-3). Dr. Savi and PD Nansen will be responsible for deploying light spectra identified under activity 6.1. to growing tomato transplants under greenhouse conditions.Activity 5.3: Light-based manipulation of western flower thrips (years 2-3). As shown in preliminary data section, Dr. Savi and PD Nansen will be responsible for testing and optimization of light spectra to suppress emergence of western flower thrips from individual tomato leaves.Objective 6. Tomato yields and postharvest quality. This objective is included to characterize and quantify downstream benefits of PAW treatments of organic tomato transplants to harvest.Activity 6.1: Fresh market yield data (years 2-3). Fresh market tomato transplants will be grown by co-PD Mattson and a graduate student.Activity 6.2: Processing tomato yield data (years 2-3). PD Nansen and co-PD Turini will oversee experimental production of processing tomato transplants to be transplanted into organically certified field plots and UC Davis and in demonstration plots at Fresno County Ag Center. Planting is expected to occur in mid-Apr to mid-May in project years 2 and 3.Activity 6.3: Compositional analyses (years 2-3). Co-PD Annor will analyze the quality of tomato fruits harvested from plants that had their seeds treated with PAW to investigate the effects of increased germination rates and vigor on the characteristics of the tomato fruits.Activity 6.4: Arthropod pests in experimental field plots (years 2-3). In microplots described under activity 6.2, Dr Savi and PD Nansen will perform sweep net sampling and visual inspections of tomato plants to obtain quantitative data on arthropod pest population dynamics.Objective 7. Outreach and extension This objective contributes to the successful completion and dissemination of all project outcomes (see logic model).Activity 7.1: Project website (years 1-3). PD Nansen and the two project postdocs will set-up and maintain a website to serve as a clearinghouse for project outreach materials as part of his laboratory website at: http://chrnansen.wix.com/nansen2.Activity 7.2: Demonstrations (years 2-3). As part of in-person demonstrations and presentations, we will conduct presentations, demonstrations, and impact surveys to attendees in three participating states.Activity 7.3: Project videos, presentations, and webinars (years 2-3): Nansen and Annor will produce a series of 5-10 min videos (year 2-3), and links to these will be posted on dedicated project website.Activity 7.4: Trade journal publications (year 2-3).Activity 7.5: Publications and presentations to academic audiences (years 2-3).Activity 7.6: Stakeholder surveys (years 1 & 3).Objective 8. Academic capacity building and education. Using the educational video software, Camtasia (www.camtasia.com), video recordings of: lab experiments, field studies, interactions with growers, and photos and figures of project results will be edited and converted into educational segments to be used in lectures and stakeholder presentations by all PDs.Activity 8.1: Education at UC Davis (year 3). In the Fall of 2023, PD Nansen will start teaching a 3-credit SAS course, entitled "Urban food and society". He also teaches a 5-credit course, entitled ENT110 Arthropod pest management, in Fall quarters.Activity 8.2: Education at University of Minnesota (year 3). Educational segments from this project will be integrated into FSCN 4113, FSCN 4112, and FSCN 4131.Activity 8.3: Education at Cornell (year 3). Educational segments from this project will be integrated into an annual course by co-PD Mattson, entitled "Hydroponic Food Production (4 credits).