Washington State University announced plans to present tree-fruit automation research at FIRA USA, scheduled for 20–22 October 2026 in Yakima, Washington. Its agricultural college, CAHNRS, is a sponsor and strategic partner, co-organising Innovation Day and organising Campus Day.
The programme includes Martin Churuvija’s AI-assisted robotic pruning research and Dattatray Bhalekar’s work on autonomous sprayers. Lav Khot is contributing to smart-farm discussions and a Smart Orchard Field Day, while Bernardita Sallato is involved in irrigation and farmworker-focused sessions. The announcement also describes horticultural training for engineers and activities introducing students to agricultural robots.
