Local manufacturers, students, and school faculty gathered at the Fresno State’s Water, Energy and Technology Center for the 8th annual Ag Tech Day, which highlights innovated agriculture technology and exposes young people to career options in the industry. Photo by Frank Lopez

Industry and education intersected at Fresno State on Oct. 25 for the 8^th annual Ag Tech Day, showcasing innovative technology in the field and providing educational presentations.

The event hosted by the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT), the Advanced Pumping Efficiency Program and the Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center aims to connect students with agricultural companies for future career opportunities.

Topics and demonstrations covered included electrification in agriculture, irrigation automation and groundwater recharge. The event concluded with a trade show, networking opportunities and lunch.

One of the event sponsors was Monarch, manufacturer of the first fully electric, autonomous tractor; waste and recycling software solutions company Rubicon; irrigation control solutions company Branif Systems and more.

Eric D. Hadden, director of the WET Center, said Ag Tech Day is unique because it allows the industry to show off the future of agricultural technology.

Hadden noted that the agricultural industry generates about $8.6 billion dollars annually in Fresno County alone.

“This is a great opportunity for vendors, technologists, new companies and innovations to come to the university to show off their wares to the audience that matters most — growers,” Hadden said.

There is a major trend towards electrification, especially to meet the state’s environmental goals. Automation is also a growing trend in irrigation and many other functions on the farm.

Historically, there has been a disconnect between industry and local education systems, but Fresno State is positioned to help bridge the gap with workforce and educational development to teach skills the industry requires, Hadden said.

He added that more young people are considering careers in ag, recalling an event with Fresno Unified School District in May where many students were immediately drawn to Monarch’s electric tractor.

Hadden said more kids are realizing for the first time the role tech plays in ag. As they are introduced to that environment, they begin to understand that being out on the farm doesn’t mean you are out in the sun and “breaking your back.”

He also highlighted the increasing role of artificial intelligence on the farm, and while it is still, the applications will be huge both in agriculture and beyond.

 

CIT Director Charles Hillyer said management is the biggest determinant of irrigation efficiency, with automation making efficiency management easier.

“I’m always looking at automation technologies,” Hillyer said. “Getting them to work together is always a challenge, but systems integration can change how accessible automation is to growers.”

Artificial intelligence will make a big difference, Hillyer said, as could allow growers to solve problems that could be difficult using traditional methods. The challenge with A.I. is understanding why it gives you what it does.

California farmers face stringent regulations. Events like these reinforce that at the end of the day, it is a business that requires strategic thinking, Hillyer said.

“Farming without profits is gardening,” Hillyer said. “There are lots of farms in California that want to keep farming — not switch to gardening. I think it’s key that regulations take into account how well these businesses are going toward sustainability — not just environmentally, but also economically.”

The economic concerns must be balanced with the environmental concerns, Hillyer said, because if the environment is wrecked, there will be no more farming.

One of the sponsors of the event, Fresno-based WiseConn, is a complete online water management platform for farms. They also had a vendor booth at the Ag Tech event.

Guillermo Valenzuela, vice president of sales and marketing at WiseConn, said the platform covers everything from sourcing, capture, irrigation control, sprinkler systems and robust agronomy data.

“It’s a complete agriculture water management platform that is built out of our hardware and our software platform,” Valenzuela said.

The company was founded in Chile in 2006, managing about 100,000 acres by 2015. A Fresno office opened at the WET Center at Fresno State in 2015.

WiseConn now has offices in Australia and Europe, Valenzuela said. The solution is popular for high-value, permanent crops.

Since the company’s launch nearly 20 years ago, more growers are investing in their water management systems, especially in areas with drought.

“There was an incredible shift around 2018 of the interest in growers for automation, and to be able to run off peak hours — or at night — so they don’t have to pay higher bills for PG&E, and without having to pay more for laborers,” Valenzuela said.

He said the WiseConn system allows growers to see what’s happening on the farm, or turn on their irrigation system from an app on their phone.

Valenzuela said there is great value in industry collaborating with schools. WiseConn’s system is used on the Fresno State farm with olives, grapes, citrus and almonds.

Occasionally, students are taken to the field to monitor the crops through the WiseConn system, which is also utilized at Merced College and West Hills college.

“The workforce of today is different than the one of 20 years ago,” Valenzuela said. “Now you have people who were born with a phone in their hand. It’s different training, and for us we see the value on the business side, with these young people being taught at the school level on what to do and then joining the workforce.”