CE Specialist in Mechanization Engineering (100% CE FTE)
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Position Title: CE Specialist in Mechanization Engineering
Position: This position will address the mechanization and automation of specialty crop production in California, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, flowers, and ornamental plants. The CE Mechanization Engineer will develop partnerships with growers, equipment companies, processors and food marketing companies to develop safe, labor- and resource-efficient crop production systems while increasing product quality. General areas of research include production operations and post-harvest handling; focus will be on design, development, and testing of mechanically-actuated systems equipped with advanced sensors and controls. Candidates must have a strong engineering background with a Ph.D. in Engineering or a B.S. in Engineering with a Ph.D. in an agricultural field.
Justification: California is the largest US producer of specialty crops with highly specialized growers who are seeking production equipment and strategies that are sustainable with regard to water, energy, capital and labor resources. Mechanizing the production, and especially the hand harvesting of fresh market crops, is a significant challenge for the sustainability of California’s fruit, nut, vegetable and ornamental industries. The value of these crops is in excess of $20 billion and depending on the commodity, labor contributes 30-60% of the production cost; the economic impact of labor-saving mechanization is significant. In addition to excessive cost, the constraints on availability of labor, more strict environmental regulations, and crop-handling requirements on the farm exert additional pressure for mechanization. Specialty crops research funding at the Federal (SCRI) and state levels (e.g., California Specialty Crop Block Grant Program) reflects the urgent need for mechanization. Concurrently, the demand for increasingly sustainable use of water and chemical inputs to these crops is also growing. Development and adoption of new technologies, much of it from other industries, can provide more efficient use of these resources. What is needed is an engineer who can, in addition to developing new technology, facilitate productive collaborations between the agricultural and the technology communities in California.
Extension: The specialist engineer will organize and participate in ANR Field Days and other client-focused programs, workshops and events such as AgrAbility and USDA’s California Small Farm Conference, as well as to disseminate information in print and online venues. Key clientele groups will include growers and their associations, California-based equipment manufacturers and dealers and their organizations such as the Far West Equipment Dealers Association (FWEDA) and the expansive community of California-based technology companies.
Research: The specialist engineer will research the use of systems analysis for optimizing the mechanization of fruit and vegetable harvesting. Mechanization research has shown that mechanically picking (often selectively), moving and handling frail crops with minimal induced damage, and at a high enough rate to be economically justifiable, presents a formidable technical challenge for which a systems approach is necessary. In such an approach, the right blend of mechanical actuation and energy transfer technologies, sensors, control algorithms and plant training systems must be determined and tested for various crops; consideration must also be given to adoption and maintainability issues. The specialist engineer will also research the use of sensors and actuators to perform planting, cultivation and pest control operations with a high level of spatial resolution and with integration of communication and data collection and processing technologies.
ANR Network: The specialist engineer will work with a diverse group of faculty in multiple areas, including experienced faculty in the UC Davis department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering who work in the areas of automation, robotics, control and systems engineering; electronics, sensors and automation; ergonomics; precision inputs management; energy management, and postharvest handling. Additionally, the specialist engineer will work closely with UC ANR Workgroups that are commodity- and discipline-based. The specialist engineer with establish close collaborations with Farm Advisors, Faculty and Specialists in major crops growing areas such as the Central Valley, the Central Coast and other specialty crop areas.
A CE Specialist in mechanization is frequently the missing component from this network of experts, This position will link campus-based researchers with growers, advisors and clients who understand mechanization needs, but who are less familiar with possible solutions and do not have sufficient background or resources to develop new solutions.
Network External to ANR: The specialist engineer with work closely with the industry clientele in need of the research and extension products; consequently, it is expected that the industry will link with the specialist to solve the pressing problems. Additionally, the technology industry, often with little to no insight or experience with agriculture, will link with the specialist to develop and adopt new technology for agricultural applications.
Support: The incumbent will have full access to the UCD BAE Fabrication Laboratory and staff. BAE will provide an office and administrative and communications support consistent with that provided to other faculty. A large network of mechanization-related stakeholders will also be available.
Other Support: Sources of research funding and support include commodity groups; USDA NIFA programs such as Family & Small Farms, Farm Safety, Organic Agriculture, Precision Technologies, Specialty Crops, and Sustainable Agriculture.
Location: UC Davis is the logical base for the proposed position, to foster collaboration between ANR colleagues in the home department, Land Air and Water Resources, Food Science and Technology, Plant Sciences and Viticulture and Enology. The BAE Fabrication Lab and staff provide key resources to meet fabrication needs. In addition, facilities at BAE's Joe A. Heidrick Sr. Western Center for Agricultural Equipment as well as the Campbell Tract will enable the specialist to carry out research and demonstration trials.Davis also offers close proximity to numerous specialty crop growers and a number of short-line equipment manufacturers.
Developed and Proposed by: Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis, based on consultations with Viticulture and Enology, BAE's external advisory board, industry representatives and UCCE Specialists and Farm Advisors.
The Department of Viticulture and Enology is proposing a CE Specialist in Viticulture Mechanization and Automation that would be located at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center. That position would include mechanization but will also include sensing and precision management applied specifically to viticulture. This would be highly complementary to the Mechanization Engineer position which would cover a wide range of crops, field operations, and post harvest handling and processing and would focus on mechanically-actuated systems.