Innovations Important To Future of Specialty Crops

Agricultural innovations are important to the advancement of the specialty crop and niche agriculture sectors. 
Jim Bair of the U.S. Apple Association said one still under development for his industry, but available for other fruit and nut varieties, is mechanical harvesters.

"So long as the technology can be fine-tuned in to identify an apple on the tree and reach out and pick that apple and do it in a way that doesn't damage it, that's gonna be a huge, huge positive impact," Bair said.

Mike Newland of the Propane Education and Research Council, says innovations and technology used by organic growers include, "...weed flaming technologies, organic market, pesticides are things I don't like to use. So we've got an organic way, an approved way, of helping those farmers eradicate weeds. And it's literally an open flame that going down between the rows of the crop. It takes the cell wall and ruptures the cell wall essentially and kills weeds in that way."
​

If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com