Cal Poly Strawberry Center

Three of our graduate students, Marina Gutierrez, Joseph Ramirez, and Cooper Calvin, recently attended the APS Plant Health Annual Meeting in Memphis, TN. Both Marina and Joseph presented on their research projects. Marina's presentation was titled 'Effect of Abiotic Stresses on Macrophomina Root Rot Development in California Strawberry,' while Joseph presented his work on 'Evaluation of Host Resistance to Macrophomina Root Rot and Verticillium Wilt in Strawberry. You can view their posters here: https://lnkd.in/gXB3eyMC

JUST PUBLISHED: "A Two-Step Deep Semantic Segmentation and Object Detection Approach for Runner Recognition in Strawberry Plants" by Mojtaba Ahmadi, Abbas Atefi, Mohammadreza Ramzanpour, and John Lin. Strawberry farming in California faces a costly challenge: removing runners that divert plant resources away from fruit production towards producing daughter plants. Traditionally cut by hand, this labor-intensive task adds up to significant costs for farmers.   In collaboration with the California Strawberry Commission, this study introduces a two-step deep learning framework that combines semantic segmentation and object detection to accurately identify runners in strawberry fields. Successfully tested on three different cultivars, the AI system demonstrated high accuracy in runner recognition. This innovative technology paves the way for autonomous pruning robots, potentially reducing labor costs, increasing efficiency and boosting productivity for strawberry growers.   Read the paper here: https://lnkd.in/ggcTk3PQ

This past week our entomologist, Mohammad Amir Aghaee, met with former Strawberry Center graduate student Kiley Jensen to witness a demonstration of the Parabug drone delivering predatory mites on strawberries in Santa Maria. It was an opportunity to discuss predatory mite research and methods with Bill Turechek, Andrew Molinar, and Roberto Mendoza (former Center undergraduate student) of the CSC, Sally Grey of Biobest, Daniel Ibarra PCA and Gabino Duran of Rancho Bonita. Kiley showed us how the drone is loaded and applied, and spoke about the laws surrounding drone use in California agriculture. Daniel Ibarra discussed the economics of using drones compared to normal hand releases. It was a great opportunity to hear new perspectives and make connections!

A little change of pace from picking strawberries... Some of our staff and students had the chance to pick some pumpkins this past week! 🎃 We always enjoy connecting with other operations on campus and making the most of these opportunities. Happy Fall!

CONGRATULATIONS to Samantha Simard who successfully defended her master's thesis last week! Her thesis is titled "Survey of Soilborne Pathogens Infecting Strawberry in Oxnard, CA & Effect of Planting Date and Chill Treatment on Strawberry" and you can watch her presentation here: https://lnkd.in/gkK4Emvf Her thesis committee is comprised of Drs. Gerald Holmes (chair), Shashika Hewavitharana and Mark Hoffman (NCSU). We're incredibly proud of her and we can't wait to see her grow in her role as Pathology Research Associate! 🎉

Two of our student assistants, Sawyer Claussen and Olivia Bruns, received the 2024 WRCCA (Western Region Certified Crop Advisor) Allan Romander Scholarship Awards! Out of only four scholarships granted, we are incredibly proud that two of our own from the Strawberry Center have been recognized. Scholarship applicants were selected using the criteria of academics, leadership, awards, professional development and their pathway to becoming a CCA. Congratulations Sawyer and Olivia for this well-deserved recognition! https://lnkd.in/gDe8ENPD

Field Research Manager Kyle Blauer and Research Assistant Colin Koubek presented this past Friday at the 23rd Annual Strawberry Production meeting in Ventura County. This meeting is organized annually by Oleg Daugovish of the UC Cooperative Extension Service in Ventura County with the goal of providing the latest in research for strawberry growers. If you are interested in looking at their presentations, click here: https://lnkd.in/gP_zDzYt 🍓 Resistance monitoring and miticide efficacy for two-spotted spider mite in strawberry, Colin Koubek 🍓Fungicide efficacy and resistance in the top 10 fungicides for Botrytis fruit rot, Kyle Blauer

It's hard to believe it's already been a month since Field Day! We truly appreciate everyone who joined us and made the day so special. We look forward to seeing you at next year's event! 🍓🧪🌱 A special shoutout to our talented event photographer, Felipe Vallejo, for capturing the spirit and excitement of the day in his photos. Be sure to check out his incredible work!

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors for making Field Day such a huge success! Their generous support helped us bring this event to life, making it by far our most successful Field Day to date. Here's to the amazing partnerships that drive our research and outreach forward. Thank you!🍓🌿 To view their sponsorship handouts and a full company list, view the link here: https://lnkd.in/gTXvwMWz

See how the 10-year collaboration between the Cal Poly Strawberry Center & the California Strawberry Commission is crucial to ensure the strawberry industry continues to thrive while advancing sustainable farming practices: https://lnkd.in/gseCa8K6