[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":472},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":57,"footer-sections":238,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-researchers-write-ai-drought-forecasting-chapter-for-new-elsevier-book":343,"section-agriculture":465},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":52,"navigation":21,"path":53,"seo":54,"stem":55,"__hash__":56},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46,49],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"How we report","\u002Fhow-we-report\u002F",{"label":50,"to":51},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","H6DFgoj-Dr1kwZoc1pqj9_hcINNmPW8oS1SjZKhxi24",[58,88,126,157,184,211],{"id":59,"title":60,"body":61,"county":80,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":81,"meta":82,"navigation":21,"path":83,"seo":84,"stem":85,"tag":86,"__hash__":87},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":62,"toc":77},[63,68],[64,65,67],"h2",{"id":66},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[69,70,71,72,76],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[73,74,75],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":78},[79],{"id":66,"depth":11,"text":67},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":60,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":89,"title":90,"body":91,"county":118,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":119,"meta":120,"navigation":21,"path":121,"seo":122,"stem":123,"tag":124,"__hash__":125},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":92,"toc":115},[93,97,112],[64,94,96],{"id":95},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[69,98,99,100,103,104,107,108,111],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[73,101,102],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[73,105,106],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[73,109,110],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[69,113,114],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":116},[117],{"id":95,"depth":11,"text":96},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":90,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":127,"title":128,"body":129,"county":149,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":150,"meta":151,"navigation":21,"path":152,"seo":153,"stem":154,"tag":155,"__hash__":156},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":130,"toc":146},[131,135],[64,132,134],{"id":133},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[69,136,137,138,141,142,145],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[73,139,140],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[73,143,144],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":147},[148],{"id":133,"depth":11,"text":134},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":128,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":158,"title":159,"body":160,"county":176,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":177,"meta":178,"navigation":21,"path":179,"seo":180,"stem":181,"tag":182,"__hash__":183},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":161,"toc":173},[162,166],[64,163,165],{"id":164},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[69,167,168,169,172],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[73,170,171],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":174},[175],{"id":164,"depth":11,"text":165},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":159,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":185,"title":186,"body":187,"county":203,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":204,"meta":205,"navigation":21,"path":206,"seo":207,"stem":208,"tag":209,"__hash__":210},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":188,"toc":200},[189,193],[64,190,192],{"id":191},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[69,194,195,196,199],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[73,197,198],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":201},[202],{"id":191,"depth":11,"text":192},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":186,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":212,"title":213,"body":214,"county":230,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":231,"meta":232,"navigation":21,"path":233,"seo":234,"stem":235,"tag":236,"__hash__":237},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":215,"toc":227},[216,220],[64,217,219],{"id":218},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[69,221,222,223,226],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[73,224,225],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":228},[229],{"id":218,"depth":11,"text":219},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":213,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",[239,254,268,283,298,313,328],{"id":240,"title":241,"body":242,"description":246,"extension":13,"intro":247,"meta":248,"navigation":21,"order":249,"path":250,"seo":251,"stem":252,"__hash__":253},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fpolicy.md","Policy & Government",{"type":7,"value":243,"toc":244},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":245},[],"How city councils, county boards, courts, campaigns and state lawmakers in the Central Valley are handling AI.","Councils and county boards deciding how their own staff use AI, courts dealing with AI-written filings, campaigns using AI-made ads, and the state and local rules that follow.",{},1,"\u002Fsections\u002Fpolicy",{"title":241,"description":246},"sections\u002Fpolicy","Vsj0IZqq6kML9J3kMWQg6hVwSUWET6voKMTO2RwiQag",{"id":255,"title":256,"body":257,"description":261,"extension":13,"intro":262,"meta":263,"navigation":21,"order":11,"path":264,"seo":265,"stem":266,"__hash__":267},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fbusiness.md","Business & Jobs",{"type":7,"value":258,"toc":259},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":260},[],"AI at Central Valley companies, startups and workplaces, and what it means for local jobs and pay.","Valley employers, startups, agencies and newsrooms putting AI to work, the jobs and wages that come with it, and the workers pushing back.",{},"\u002Fsections\u002Fbusiness",{"title":256,"description":261},"sections\u002Fbusiness","4C4DdPMx-uJhsljPONrEBtqEgt8KCFjMSZa3sT3MPWs",{"id":269,"title":270,"body":271,"description":275,"extension":13,"intro":276,"meta":277,"navigation":21,"order":278,"path":279,"seo":280,"stem":281,"__hash__":282},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fagriculture.md","Agriculture & Water",{"type":7,"value":272,"toc":273},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":274},[],"AI on Central Valley farms and in the fights over the water they depend on.","Growers, researchers and water districts using AI in orchards and fields, and the water questions every new project raises in the Valley.",{},3,"\u002Fsections\u002Fagriculture",{"title":270,"description":275},"sections\u002Fagriculture","0TESsPZleodMkCVDiLFJLpxNNrYmvG7IGHrFlsr37BI",{"id":284,"title":285,"body":286,"description":290,"extension":13,"intro":291,"meta":292,"navigation":21,"order":293,"path":294,"seo":295,"stem":296,"__hash__":297},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Feducation.md","Education",{"type":7,"value":287,"toc":288},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":289},[],"AI in Central Valley classrooms, school districts, community colleges and universities.","School districts writing AI rules, teachers changing how they assign and grade work, and the colleges and universities training the Valley's next workforce.",{},4,"\u002Fsections\u002Feducation",{"title":285,"description":290},"sections\u002Feducation","-e6-KzwwHx0KAFI48B4XToeKNDxokjFl65HFUIheDRk",{"id":299,"title":300,"body":301,"description":305,"extension":13,"intro":306,"meta":307,"navigation":21,"order":308,"path":309,"seo":310,"stem":311,"__hash__":312},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fhealth.md","Health",{"type":7,"value":302,"toc":303},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":304},[],"AI in Central Valley hospitals, clinics, health plans and public health.","Hospitals, health plans, paramedics and nurses deciding where AI belongs in patient care, and the risks when people turn to chatbots for health advice.",{},5,"\u002Fsections\u002Fhealth",{"title":300,"description":305},"sections\u002Fhealth","imh9TzOi3_ljIlWLuPI1GPpzaQFH_FYcPLw9dhkFq1M",{"id":314,"title":315,"body":316,"description":320,"extension":13,"intro":321,"meta":322,"navigation":21,"order":323,"path":324,"seo":325,"stem":326,"__hash__":327},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fenergy.md","Energy & Infrastructure",{"type":7,"value":317,"toc":318},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":319},[],"AI data centers, power, water and infrastructure in the Central Valley.","The data centers proposed across the Valley, the power and water they would need, the local moratoriums and bans, and AI on roads and the grid.",{},6,"\u002Fsections\u002Fenergy",{"title":315,"description":320},"sections\u002Fenergy","WuUM1PIgcM9rPD7CYRvmgi_lWX6am2M4Oy7QYzujhog",{"id":329,"title":330,"body":331,"description":335,"extension":13,"intro":336,"meta":337,"navigation":21,"order":338,"path":339,"seo":340,"stem":341,"__hash__":342},"sections\u002Fsections\u002Fsecurity.md","Security & Privacy",{"type":7,"value":332,"toc":333},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":334},[],"AI scams, deepfakes, misinformation, surveillance and public safety in the Central Valley.","Voice-clone and deepfake scams aimed at Valley residents, AI-made misinformation in local politics, license-plate cameras and other surveillance, and the agencies trying to keep up.",{},7,"\u002Fsections\u002Fsecurity",{"title":330,"description":335},"sections\u002Fsecurity","rmrqKdDGZgjjEu-gSPsXXiCSW41sz1-d_o18xsA9xXA",{"id":344,"title":345,"archived":346,"author":347,"body":348,"date":453,"dateModified":453,"description":454,"extension":13,"meta":455,"navigation":21,"path":456,"rawbody":457,"section":458,"seo":459,"sitemap":460,"stem":461,"tags":462,"__hash__":464},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-researchers-write-ai-drought-forecasting-chapter-for-new-elsevier-book.md","UC Merced researchers write AI drought-forecasting chapter for new Elsevier book",false,"CVAI Education Desk",{"type":7,"value":349,"toc":445},[350,354,358,374,377,380,384,387,390,394,397,400,404,407,411,414,417,432,435,439],[351,352,345],"h1",{"id":353},"uc-merced-researchers-write-ai-drought-forecasting-chapter-for-new-elsevier-book",[64,355,357],{"id":356},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[359,360,361,365,368,371],"ol",{},[362,363,364],"li",{},"Six UC Merced researchers wrote a chapter on AI drought modeling for Elsevier's new book \"Global Drought and Sustainability.\"",[362,366,367],{},"The chapter explains how AI tools can combine climate records, current observations, satellite imagery and sensor data to forecast drought.",[362,369,370],{},"The team says AI can add to existing drought monitoring, especially where ground data is thin, if it's paired with physics-based water science.",[362,372,373],{},"The book has 14 chapters by more than 40 authors from over 15 institutions in at least 10 countries.",[69,375,376],{},"\"Drought is becoming harder to manage because conditions can change quickly across farms, watersheds and regions,\" said Abid Sarwar, a project scientist at UC Merced.",[69,378,379],{},"Sarwar and five UC Merced colleagues wrote a chapter about that problem for \"Global Drought and Sustainability,\" a new book from the academic publisher Elsevier. According to the university, their chapter, titled \"Artificial Intelligence for Multiscale Drought Modeling and Decision Making,\" explains how AI and machine learning tools can combine historical climate records, current observations, satellite imagery and sensor data to assess and forecast drought. The timing matters in the Valley. After a couple of years with enough water, much of California showed \"abnormally dry\" conditions in spring 2026, the university said, citing the state drought monitor.",[64,381,383],{"id":382},"who-wrote-it","Who wrote it",[69,385,386],{},"The authors range from early-career researchers to senior faculty. Sarwar is a project scientist. Rui Gao is a postdoctoral scholar. The other four are professors: Safeeq Khan, John Abatzoglou, Josué Medellín-Azuara and Joshua Viers.",[69,388,389],{},"The university's announcement was written by Patty Guerra of UC Merced's communications staff, and it went out in May.",[64,391,393],{"id":392},"what-the-chapter-argues","What the chapter argues",[69,395,396],{},"The team's claim is limited. AI can be a more scalable way to add to the drought monitoring that's already done, the researchers said, especially in regions with few ground observations. That only holds when the models are used together with a physics-based understanding of how water systems work.",[69,398,399],{},"The university says the need is growing because climate change is bringing more swings between wet and dry years. When a dry spell follows a wet one, forecasts have to account for changes on individual farms and across whole watersheds and regions, which is the problem Sarwar described.",[64,401,403],{"id":402},"the-rest-of-the-book","The rest of the book",[69,405,406],{},"\"Global Drought and Sustainability\" has 14 chapters. More than 40 authors from over 15 institutions in at least 10 countries contributed. According to UC Merced, the book looks at how drought is connected to climate change and lays out science-based ways to improve water management, keep agriculture sustainable and make ecosystems more resilient. It also covers newer methods, including advanced drought forecasting and the use of AI to predict and respond to changing conditions.",[64,408,410],{"id":409},"uc-merceds-earlier-ai-work","UC Merced's earlier AI work",[69,412,413],{},"This isn't the campus's first AI project on water. ABC30 reported earlier that UC Merced received a $20 million federal grant to research artificial intelligence, which experts said could be vital for Central Valley agriculture. Abatzoglou, then an associate professor, was among the researchers the station interviewed.",[69,415,416],{},"More recently, UC Merced and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers installed an AI-powered irrigation system in an almond orchard in Parlier. It's designed to deliver the exact amount of water the trees need and to measure the results. Farms to Incubators reported that the project was led by Wan Du, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. The orchard has one test bed watered by the AI system and one watered the traditional way.",[69,418,419],{},[420,421,422,423,425,426,431],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[73,424,347],{}," team and developed by ",[427,428,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":429},[430],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[433,434],"hr",{},[64,436,438],{"id":437},"source","Source",[69,440,441],{},[427,442,443],{"href":443,"rel":444},"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.ucmerced.edu\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002Fcan-ai-help-predict-and-manage-drought-uc-merced-researchers-explain-new-book",[430],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":446},[447,448,449,450,451,452],{"id":356,"depth":11,"text":357},{"id":382,"depth":11,"text":383},{"id":392,"depth":11,"text":393},{"id":402,"depth":11,"text":403},{"id":409,"depth":11,"text":410},{"id":437,"depth":11,"text":438},"2026-11-06","Six UC Merced scientists, from a postdoc to senior professors, explain how machine learning can combine satellite, sensor and climate data to forecast drought in California and elsewhere.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-researchers-write-ai-drought-forecasting-chapter-for-new-elsevier-book","---\nauthor: CVAI Education Desk\ndate: '2026-11-06'\ndateModified: '2026-11-06'\ndescription: Six UC Merced scientists, from a postdoc to senior professors, explain\n  how machine learning can combine satellite, sensor and climate data to forecast\n  drought in California and elsewhere.\nsection: agriculture\ntags:\n- agriculture\n- merced\n- water\ntitle: UC Merced researchers write AI drought-forecasting chapter for new Elsevier\n  book\n---\n\n# UC Merced researchers write AI drought-forecasting chapter for new Elsevier book\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Six UC Merced researchers wrote a chapter on AI drought modeling for Elsevier's new book \"Global Drought and Sustainability.\"\n2. The chapter explains how AI tools can combine climate records, current observations, satellite imagery and sensor data to forecast drought.\n3. The team says AI can add to existing drought monitoring, especially where ground data is thin, if it's paired with physics-based water science.\n4. The book has 14 chapters by more than 40 authors from over 15 institutions in at least 10 countries.\n\n\"Drought is becoming harder to manage because conditions can change quickly across farms, watersheds and regions,\" said Abid Sarwar, a project scientist at UC Merced.\n\nSarwar and five UC Merced colleagues wrote a chapter about that problem for \"Global Drought and Sustainability,\" a new book from the academic publisher Elsevier. According to the university, their chapter, titled \"Artificial Intelligence for Multiscale Drought Modeling and Decision Making,\" explains how AI and machine learning tools can combine historical climate records, current observations, satellite imagery and sensor data to assess and forecast drought. The timing matters in the Valley. After a couple of years with enough water, much of California showed \"abnormally dry\" conditions in spring 2026, the university said, citing the state drought monitor.\n\n## Who wrote it\n\nThe authors range from early-career researchers to senior faculty. Sarwar is a project scientist. Rui Gao is a postdoctoral scholar. The other four are professors: Safeeq Khan, John Abatzoglou, Josué Medellín-Azuara and Joshua Viers.\n\nThe university's announcement was written by Patty Guerra of UC Merced's communications staff, and it went out in May.\n\n## What the chapter argues\n\nThe team's claim is limited. AI can be a more scalable way to add to the drought monitoring that's already done, the researchers said, especially in regions with few ground observations. That only holds when the models are used together with a physics-based understanding of how water systems work.\n\nThe university says the need is growing because climate change is bringing more swings between wet and dry years. When a dry spell follows a wet one, forecasts have to account for changes on individual farms and across whole watersheds and regions, which is the problem Sarwar described.\n\n## The rest of the book\n\n\"Global Drought and Sustainability\" has 14 chapters. More than 40 authors from over 15 institutions in at least 10 countries contributed. According to UC Merced, the book looks at how drought is connected to climate change and lays out science-based ways to improve water management, keep agriculture sustainable and make ecosystems more resilient. It also covers newer methods, including advanced drought forecasting and the use of AI to predict and respond to changing conditions.\n\n## UC Merced's earlier AI work\n\nThis isn't the campus's first AI project on water. ABC30 reported earlier that UC Merced received a $20 million federal grant to research artificial intelligence, which experts said could be vital for Central Valley agriculture. Abatzoglou, then an associate professor, was among the researchers the station interviewed.\n\nMore recently, UC Merced and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers installed an AI-powered irrigation system in an almond orchard in Parlier. It's designed to deliver the exact amount of water the trees need and to measure the results. Farms to Incubators reported that the project was led by Wan Du, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. The orchard has one test bed watered by the AI system and one watered the traditional way.\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Education Desk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fnews.ucmerced.edu\u002Fnews\u002F2026\u002Fcan-ai-help-predict-and-manage-drought-uc-merced-researchers-explain-new-book\n","agriculture",{"title":345,"description":454},{"loc":456},"news\u002Fuc-merced-researchers-write-ai-drought-forecasting-chapter-for-new-elsevier-book",[458,155,463],"water","7v8kuwgNRXUOghk8R07dn1VouGI4wNUt3AiTJoy0w_s",{"id":269,"title":270,"body":466,"description":275,"extension":13,"intro":276,"meta":470,"navigation":21,"order":278,"path":279,"seo":471,"stem":281,"__hash__":282},{"type":7,"value":467,"toc":468},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":469},[],{},{"title":270,"description":275},1793924932561]