Heat and water dominated the conversations as roughly 125 people descended on the Smart Orchard for a field day July 25 near Mattawa, Washington.
Researchers and companies presented results from trials on heat mitigation, irrigation methods and how to automate the two. A few even felt a surprise drizzle from overhead sprinklers as cooling systems kicked on near lunchtime.
“Our goal is to work with public and private partners, make them not work in silos but bring their technologies together,” said Lav Khot, director of AgWeatherNet, a Washington State University agricultural weather service that informs a variety of digital decision tools.
A running theme was how separate technologies can combine.
Polish fruit growers were among the 125 people who checked out precision irrigation and heat management tools and ideas on July 25 at the Washington State University Smart Orchard field day near Mattawa
