U.S. Department of Agriculture hires an ag engineer for new viticulture research role for the Northwest wine industry
Schrader, whose doctoral work focused on alternative pesticide application technologies in orchard systems, spent the past two years working as a technician with the SmartVineyard project. The WSU-hosted demonstration farm is focused on the potential of new sensor technologies and is funded by the AgAID Institute, a consortium of agriculture and technology researchers led by WSU, and the Washington State Wine Commission.
The role introduced him to some of the industry’s precision viticulture needs and the challenges of installing sensor technology on farms.
“My biggest takeaway from the SmartVineyard was tractor blight,” he said.
Now, he’s looking forward to meeting more growers and touring more vineyards to better understand the challenges they face and to set the priorities of his research program.
