Automation for Specialty Crops: A Comprehensive Strategy, Current Results, and Future Goals

Specialty crops are defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops including floriculture. In 2008 the US Department of Agriculture launched the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to promote innovative research and development in five legislatively-mandated areas: plant breeding and genetics; threats from pests and diseases; production efficiency, productivity, and profitability; innovations and new technologies; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to food safety hazards. This article presents the technical goals and current progress of Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops, one of the 18 projects funded under the initiative in its first funding round.