Jason Giannelli | September 3, 2026
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/ai-agriculture-come-together-california-120000817.html
When AI and agriculture come together, California wins. Here’s how | Opinion
Almonds set on a tree in Modesto, Calif., Friday, May 12, 2023. California farmers use AI for precision farming, water savings and supply chain gains. Sacramento must avoid broad rules that could harm the agriculture sector. (Andy Alfaro/aalfaro@modbee.com)More
Most people unfamiliar with California agriculture may not realize just how deeply technology and food production have become intertwined. That collaboration allows us to produce more food at a lower cost, delivering tangible benefits to every farming community across the state.
From automatic spray rigs cutting chemical use by 99% to semi-automated platforms on wheels navigating orchards with smart cameras to collect data, the Central Valley agriculture industry is embedding artificial intelligence into its operations.
Right now, state policymakers in Sacramento are drafting the rules around AI — governing everything from access to data and technology infrastructure to how food moves from farms to wholesale, retail and everyday consumers. These decisions will land squarely on the shoulders of farmers in the Central and Salinas Valleys, our wine regions, our fruit and nut belts and the fields producing specialty crops like artichokes, olive oil and avocados.
It’s important that California leaders advocate for their agricultural constituents and ensure the state does not forfeit the present and future benefits of AI use in our agriculture industry and the benefits that come with it, including precision, maximizing crop yields, efficiency and, most importantly, strengthening California’s food supply. Sacramento should not move forward with broad AI laws that will have unintended consequences on California’s agriculture industry.
The ability of AI’s to reduce costs for farmers and lower prices for consumers is of high importance. The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems at UC Davis, established with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has found that using AI can help cut losses in California’s 13-million-ton tomato harvest, breed climate-resilient crop varieties, and improve quality screening in processing plants.
When farmers can fully utilize these tools, precision farming becomes a reality — applying the right inputs, in the right amounts, at the right time.
AI is critical to water conservation, a vital priority for the Central Valley. UC Davis engineers are combining field sensors, biophysical models and AI to recommend optimal irrigation schedules for individual sections of an orchard, helping growers produce the same crop yields with less water.
Meanwhile, testing by the Irrigation Association and the International Center for Water Technology at Fresno State has demonstrated that smart, weather-responsive irrigation controllers can save up to 20% more water than traditional systems. Every acre-foot saved is crucial for farms navigating strict groundwater restrictions.
And the benefits go even further: AI tools enable farmers to anticipate the issues that threaten crops — including water shortages, disease and extreme weather — and guide decisions about what and when to plant and harvest. For organic and sustainable growers, AI-driven soil analysis offers recommendations for keeping soil healthy, while reducing farming’s footprint.
UC Davis research on almond orchards, for example, shows how remote sensing can help growers apply fertilizer more precisely, protecting groundwater and cutting input costs at the same time.
Similarly, supply chain software has transformed how we develop markets, coordinate with brokers and deliver fresh produce to consumers. Technology is also helping address agriculture’s ongoing labor shortage, while advanced computing and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities to improve efficiency, analyze data and develop innovative solutions across the food and agriculture sector.
The new regional super computing center at Fresno State University will help make those technologies more accessible to growers, food processors, manufacturers, researchers and startups, providing the computing resources and technical support needed to test and deploy AI applications.