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Second Annual Nebraska Precision Agriculture Conference to Focus on ‘Getting Back to Basics’

How can growers ensure that technology serves the farm — not the other way around?

The second annual Nebraska Precision Agriculture Conference, to be held Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, at the Hall County Extension Office (3180 US-34) in Grand Island, will explore that question. This year’s theme, “Getting Back to Basics,” emphasizes the importance of foundational precision agriculture principles amid the rapid advancement of ag technology.

While agriculture continues to evolve through automation, sensors, data analytics and artificial intelligence, the conference aims to ensure that new farmers, students and educators have a strong understanding of the essential tools and concepts that underpin digital and precision farming. At the same time, sessions will provide experienced growers with practical strategies to maximize their return on investment (ROI) from the technologies they already use.

Source : unl.edu

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Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.