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Map: More Drought Misery for Western Canada in July

Things certainly improved in eastern Canada after a dry June, but drought-related misery continued for most of Western Canada in July. 

According to the latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor, exceptionally dry conditions dominated much of Western Canada while eastern parts of the country saw above- to well above-normal rainfall during the month.  

For the Prairies, drought extent and severity continued to significantly increase with abnormally warm temperatures and well below-normal precipitation in July. In fact, substantial portions of southern Saskatchewan went more than two weeks without any precipitation at all during the month, while a pocket of exceptional drought – the worst drought classification - developed in southeastern Alberta. 

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Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker


Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.