3 UCSC-Led AgTech Projects Receive Nearly $1M in USDA Grants
Three USDA-funded research projects will create new technologies that address important agricultural and environmental needs. (photo by Carolyn Lagattuta)
Article By Emily Cerf via UCSC Newscenter
Three UC Santa Cruz research teams led by engineering faculty will pursue innovative agriculture technology projects with the support of seed grants from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
Faculty and student researchers will work in interdisciplinary teams to create new technologies that address important agricultural and environmental needs. Each project was awarded $300,000 in funding over a two-year period, for a total of $900,000 in funding among the projects.
These grants build upon UCSC’s long history of thoughtful leadership in agroecology and sustainable food systems, marked by a recent $10 million grant, and will further Baskin School of Engineering priorities of developing technology for societal benefit.
Better leaf wetness sensors for crops
Lead Principal Investigator: Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Marco Rolandi
Co-Principal Investigators: Professor of Environmental Studies Gregory Gilbert, Assistant Professor of ECE Colleen Josephson
When plants get wet, they are at risk of developing disease, limiting crop output in agricultural settings and potentially causing ecological damage in the wild. The team of researchers are continuing to develop sensors that use a biomimicry approach to provide better measurements of leaf wetness than what current state-of-the-art technology can provide.
These fairly inexpensive sensors can provide measurements for any leaf type which can help guide disease forecasting and improve crop management. The researchers envision them as an extremely helpful tool for both large and small organic farms. With this funding, the team will focus on optimizing their leaf sensors for commercially relevant crops such as strawberries, fava beans, spinach, and maize (corn).
Microbial sensors for monitoring soil health
Lead Principal Investigator: Assistant Professor of ECE Colleen Josephson
Co-Principal Investigators: Pat Pannuto (UC San Diego), George Wells (Northwestern University), Neal Blair (Northwestern University)
The soil microbiome is an important aspect of overall soil health, yet we don’t currently have an easy way to monitor the activities of this microbiome in real time. “Mud batteries,” also known as microbial fuel cells, generate electrical signals in response to microbe activity in the soil. The power output of the batteries fueled by bacteria could give clues to the health of the soil – a lower output might indicate that the soil is not a healthy environment for the crops that are planted in it.
This project focuses on the development of a new way to gain insights into soil health by monitoring the electrical output of these microbes, alongside other environmental conditions. Josephson’s team will use this funding to advance the development of mud battery-based soil sensors.