Efficiently managing the irrigation of vegetable crop production on a large scale is difficult. The diversity of crops and rotational schedules in a typical vegetable operation increase management complexity, and the required coordination of field operations makes irrigation scheduling quite challenging. Consequently, many farm managers follow predetermined irrigation schedules to simplify water management, which can lead to excess irrigation amounts.

Supported by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, this project seeks to help growers of vegetable crops in the Western U.S. address these challenges amidst decreasing water supplies and increasing regulations on their use. Partnering with the University of California Cooperative Extension, the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, and Western Growers, the project brings university- and private sector-developed models and capabilities for estimating and tracking crop water and fertilizer needs to broader application throughout the industry.

Given the production complexities of agriculture in general, plus the added challenges with high value and perishable crops such as fruits and vegetables, substantial customer and market insight is required to accelerate technology adoption and business growth in this market segment. The Colorado Precision Agriculture Collaboration Initiative (CO-PACI) focuses on proven collaboration and feedback methodologies between the growers, processors and shippers of agricultural products operating principally in the Western U.S, and Colorado companies and universities developing innovative, relevant technologies.

With support from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, CO-PACI assists in the growth of Colorado businesses in key advanced industries by targeting opportunities in the overlooked and underserved agriculture sector, particularly for high-value and perishable crops. CIRAS’ organizing vision is that CO-PACI activities, combined with those of Colorado universities, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and other regional stakeholders, will serve to establish a regional Center of Excellence for precision agriculture, food supply chains, and the associated disciplines of natural resource management and sustainability.

Forty percent of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted, according to a Natural Resources Defense Council report from 2017. The waste is worth over $200 billion annually and comprises about 20% of U.S. cropland and U.S. landfills. Published estimates indicate that the amount of edible and/or marketable fresh produce left behind after fields are harvested is about 30% to 40% of the harvested yield, depending on the crop.

CIRAS and its private-sector affiliate GeoVisual Analytics are partnered with Iowa State University on a project funded by the Walmart Foundation to address food waste reduction through the application of advanced technologies. Initially focused on the farming of sweet potatoes, the project is testing the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of applying advanced, remotely-sensed imagery systems to quantify post-harvest waste, towards identifying commercial benefits to sweet potato farmers of applying technologies and improving production and harvest technologies to reduce losses and thereby increase profits.