Specialty crops are defined in the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-465) as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops (including floriculture).” They constitute a $52.3 billion/year industry and, as opposed to program crops (such as wheat, cotton, corn and, soybean), are characterized by the need for intensive cultivation.

Why focus on specialty crops?

Within specialty crops, the tree fruit and nursery industries have a farm gate value of $20 billion/year with a 3.2% growth rate projected in the next decade. These crops are facing a crisis of increased labor costs and shortages of available labor. Labor costs alone have increased from 38% of the net value of the farm economy to 58% over the past decade. If the trends continue, farms are at risk of economic failure. In addition to labor costs, an increasing consumer demand for a safe, affordable, traceable, and higher quality food supply and the need to minimize the environmental footprint represent key challenges for specialty crop sustainability in the United States.

The 2007 US Farm Bill established the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to promote innovative research and development in five areas: plant breeding and genetics; threats from pests and diseases; production efficiency, productivity, and profitability; innovations and new technologies; and methods to prevent, detect, monitor, control, and respond to food safety hazards. In 2008, the US Department of Agriculture launched the first SCRI call for proposals, awarding $28 million to 18 groups around the country.

Who we are:

Comprehensive Automation for Specialty Crops (CASC) is a matching grant program funded by the USDA-SCRI and industry to develop comprehensive automation strategies and technologies for the specialty crop industry, with an initial focus on apples and nursery trees. We are a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional group comprised of engineers, scientists, extension educators, growers, and industry representatives in universities, government labs, and companies spanning five states, representing some 60% of all US apple production.

Our goals are:

• To develop information, mobility, and manipulation technologies that will provide the infrastructure for the deployment of sensors and tools that will enhance crop monitoring, foster better and quicker decision-making, reduce labor stress, and increase fruit quality and yields.
• To develop systems to automatically detect plant stress and disease and insect infestations; systems to inventory nursery trees (including caliper information) and crop load; and to integrate this data into information management databases that allow growers to quickly and efficiently assess fruit, tree, and farm conditions.
• To accelerate technology adoption by determining the return on investment of the technologies developed and the barriers to adoption.
• To reduce the time from technology development to adoption through a nationwide extension and outreach program.

USDA Award 20085118004876
Project Director: Dr. Sanjiv Singh
Project Manager:Dr. Marcel Bergerman
Carnegie Mellon University