SBIR-STTR Award

Gray mold and powdery mildew can account for as much as 80% of decay in strawberry productionand combined with arthropod pests have a significant impact on yield. Regular application ofpesticides is the traditional solution however increasing resistance regulations and a risingdemand for organic fruit production motivate a need for alternative non-chemical treatmentmethods. USDA ARS scientists developed a treatment methodology called PhylloLux which usesUV-C irradiation array followed by a four-hour dark period (US Patent Application No.2017/0274106 A1 submitted September 28 2017) to manage diseases and pests. Because UV-Cexposure can be harmful to humans and night treatments present scheduling challenges manuallyadministering PhylloLux is impractical. TRIC Robotics LLC has partnered with AFRS in aCRADA agreement (#58-8080-9-003) and seeks to automate the UV-C treatment process describedin PhylloLux for field and commercial applications. We propose the development of anautonomous mobile platform that would enable PhylloLux treatment as a non-chemical alternativeto pesticides. Specifically innovating how UV-C treatment is performed efficiently and effectivelythroughout the field. We envision three primary technical objectives: 1) develop a multi-arraytreatment capability 2) develop a system for accurately controlling UV-C dose and maximizingfield coverage 3) experimentally validate treatment capabilities in open fields. Ultimately the goalis to improve profitability of strawberry production by providing growers with a non-chemicalservice for sustainably controlling pathogens and arthropod pests.

Gray mold and powdery mildew can account for as much as 80% of decay in strawberry production and combined with arthropod pests have a significant impact on yield. Regular application of pesticides is the traditional solution however increasing resistance regulations and a rising demand for organic fruit production motivate a need for alternative non-chemical treatment methods. USDA ARS scientists developed a treatment methodology called PhylloLux which uses UV-C irradiation array followed by a four-hour dark period (US Patent Application No.2017/0274106 A1 submitted September 28 2017) to manage diseases and pests. Because UV-C exposure can be harmful to humans and night treatments present scheduling challenges manually administering PhylloLux is impractical. TRIC Robotics LLC has partnered with AFRS in a CRADA agreement (#58-8080-9-003) and seeks to automate the UV-C treatment process described in PhylloLux for field and commercial applications. This Phase II project leverages and expands upon Phase I innovations with the goal of achieving multirow dosing control which is necessary for commercial viability. We propose the development of an autonomous mobile platform that can appropriately dose plants with UV-C over multiple rows. Phase II accomplishes four primary objectives: 1) development of automatic boom adjustment capability 2) design and implementation of a multirow dosing controller 3) validation on a commercial farm 4) establishment of safety protocols and pest control claims. Ultimately the goal is to improve profitability of strawberry production by providing growers with a non-chemical service for sustainably controlling pathogens and arthropod pests.