IDENTIFYING NEEDS AND OVERCOMING BARRIERS FOR ADOPTING NOVEL WEED CONTROL TECHNOLOGY IN PERENNIAL CROPS

Our project team will engage perennial crop (i.e., tree fruit, tree nut, grape, berry, and hop) growers, agricultural workers, crop consultants, agricultural equipment manufacturers, policymakers, and other industry personnel to gain insight into their priorities concerning weed control, interest in novel weed control technology, and to identify the possible drivers and barriers to implementation.The project team will meet October 22 to 24, 2024, at the FIRA (Farming Innovations and Robotics Showcase) USA event, a premier exposition in North America for autonomous farming and agricultural robotics solutions, to assess the technological readiness of available weed control equipment. While at FIRA USA, project members will meet with representatives from the agricultural robotics industry, growers, and other stakeholders interested in new weed control tools to understand their perspectives, attitudes, and concerns regarding the adoption of robotic technologies for weed management. The team will also meet, independently, to conduct a thorough review of existing literature on robotics in agriculture, particularly perennial crop production, including results from the Co-I's own research programs.This information will be used to develop a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the current body of knowledge for the autonomous, robotic, and innovative weed control technology landscape. The review will be extended, nationwide, to stakeholders through in-person and online presentations given by the project team members. Target audiences include attendees at the New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the New Jersey Agricultural Convention, the Great Lakes EXPO, the Business, Enology, Viticulture (B.E.V.) NY meeting, the Western New York Fruit Conference, the Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Convention, and the Indiana Horticulture Conference and Expo, the California Almond Conference, the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, the North American Blueberry Researcher and Extension Workers conference, the North American Cranberry Researcher and Extension Workers conference, the American Cranberry Growers Association annual meeting, the Pacific Northwest Cranberry congress, the Wisconsin Cranberry School, the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association annual meeting, the New Jersey Blueberry Open House annual meeting, among others. Virtual outreach will occur via webinars and pre-recorded videos posted to the university YouTube channels and other social media platforms.Discussions with FIRA USA participants will also shape the development of a survey tool that will be distributed to stakeholders, nationwide, at the events mentioned above and online. This instrument will be used to (1) identify growers' interests concerning novel weeding tools and (2) describe the needs, preferences, limitations, and specific challenges growers face when considering the adoption and integration of new weed control technology into their production systems. Monthly meetings will be used to identify and meet with key industry partners, review survey responses, and share feedback from the presentations. These discussions will inform our full SCRI SREP proposal to investigate the performance and adoptability of innovative weedcontrol technology to improve the productivity, sustainability, and profitability of tree, vine, and fruit crops.This understanding will enable tailoring advancements best suited to growers' diverse requirements and improve US perennial crop growers' economic competitiveness and the sustainability of thousands of farming operations. Additionally, such information will assist our project team in designing future research questions and outreach approaches that fit growers' specific needs and provide relevant information on overcoming barriers to better manage weeds of perennial crops. Fostering collaboration and communication among team members from different disciplines will ensure that all perspectives are considered and integrated into the research process.