NDSU Extension Getting It Right in Sunflower Production webinar

Feb 08, 2024

Farmers and crop advisers searching for research-based sunflower production recommendations should plan to participate in the Getting It Right in Sunflower Production webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 27 starting at 8:30 a.m.

Research updates and recommendations to help farmers make production decisions for the 2024 growing season will be the focus of this educational event, which is organized by North Dakota State University Extension cropping systems specialists Greg Endres and Anitha Chirumamilla with support from the National Sunflower Association.

During the event, NDSU Extension crop specialists will discuss sunflower topics including: hybrid selection, plant establishment, soil management and plant nutrients, plant protection – insect, weed and disease management, and markets.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations. The presentations will be recorded and archived at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/getting-it-right. Certified crop adviser continuing education credits will be available for attending the live event.

Source : ndsu.edu

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.