Eight companies to showcase tools for weeding, thinning, harvesting, drone application, irrigation management
Growers, pest control advisers, researchers, commodity group representatives and other agricultural professionals are invited to attend the UC ANR Connect Field Day on Thursday, Aug. 6 for a morning of live farm technology demonstrations.
The free event is hosted by UC ANR Innovate, in partnership with the California Leafy Greens Research Board and California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), Monterey Bay. It will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Sabor Farms, located off Highway 156 between San Juan Bautista and Hollister.
“There is a growing recognition that successful agricultural innovation depends on close collaboration between technology developers and the people who will ultimately use these tools,” said Helle Petersen, director of UC ANR Innovate. “Field demonstrations give growers, advisers and researchers an opportunity to evaluate technologies under real production conditions, while giving companies the practical feedback they need to refine their products for California agriculture.”
UC ANR Innovate, part of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, is dedicated to driving agriculture, food and biotechnology innovation in California.
“California’s leafy greens industry has a long history of investing in research that responds to practical production needs,” said Jennifer Clarke, executive director of the California Leafy Greens Research Board. “By supporting this field day, the board is helping create an environment where growers can assess new tools early, ask hard questions and help shape how these technologies develop for the industry.”
The field day will bring eight agricultural technology providers into an active vegetable production setting to demonstrate tools related to weeding, thinning, harvesting, drone application, irrigation management and more. Attendees will be able to observe technologies operating in the field, speak directly with company and technical teams, and provide feedback based on their own production experience.
Participants are part of UC ANR Connect, a program of UC ANR Innovate and venture firm Farmhand Ventures, designed to connect growers with technical tools that address their biggest pain points.
This is the only program of its kind in California. It starts with priorities identified by growers and University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors, then works with the UC ANR Innovate Industry Advisory Board to research and recruit companies whose tools may help address those needs.
Selected companies – vetted for both business solvency and efficacy – receive support preparing for field demonstrations, customer discovery opportunities, and feedback from California producers and industry experts.
The eight companies scheduled to demonstrate technologies are:
- Carbon Robotics — AI-guided lasers eliminate weeds in specialty row crops without herbicides or soil disturbance.
- Mantis Ag Technology — Machine-vision lettuce thinning targets individual plants with precision applications while reducing manual labor.
- Niqo Robotics — An AI-powered, tractor-mounted lettuce thinner identifies individual plants and automates thinning and beneficial applications.
- Ecorobotix — Plant-by-plant AI spraying applies crop inputs in small target zones, substantially reducing chemical use.
- High Degree — A pre-plant steam-treatment service controls weeds and soilborne pathogens without chemical fumigants.
- Sami Robotics — A multi-arm robotic platform selectively harvests mature vegetables and turns every field pass into useful crop data.
- Verdant Robotics — AI-powered precision application aims individual micro-shots at weeds or crops for weeding, thinning and other input applications.
- SkySense — AI-enabled drones deter birds and turn aerial imagery into stand counts, weed maps and field intelligence.
In addition, the field day will feature an integrated drip-irrigation trailer based on a free and open-source platform developed by a team led by Michael Cahn, University of California Cooperative Extension irrigation and water resources advisor in Monterey County.
The custom-built system combines filtration, pressure regulation, flow measurement and sensors with automated reporting to CropManage, a free UC-developed web application that uses field, weather, soil and crop information to provide irrigation and nitrogen recommendations. The system allows irrigators to remotely monitor pressure and flow across multiple plantings while reducing time spent traveling between fields. Huntington Farms currently operates 10 of the trailers in its Salinas Valley fields.
The Aug. 6 field day is presented in partnership with the California Leafy Greens Research Board, CAPCA Monterey Bay, Top Flavor Farms and Sabor Farms, with support from the California AgTech Alliance. The event is free and open to professionals who support California vegetable production.
Capacity is limited and registration is encouraged. To register, visit https://bit.ly/ucanr-fieldday-coastal-veg-26.
About UC ANR Innovate
UC ANR Innovate is the innovation arm of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, dedicated to driving agriculture, food and biotechnology innovation in California. UC ANR Innovate connects researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers and policymakers to move agricultural innovation from research to adoption. Learn more at ucanr.edu/site/innovate.
About the California Leafy Greens Research Board
The California Leafy Greens Research Board administers an industry-funded program supporting nonproprietary, scientifically based research that benefits California producers of iceberg and leaf lettuce, spinach and spring mix. The program is funded through industry assessments under the authority of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Learn more at calgreens.org.
