[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":492},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":57,"footer-sections":238,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-tests-ai-irrigation-in-a-parlier-almond-orchard-sprinkler-by-sprinkler":343,"section-agriculture":485,"image-null":474},{"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":472,"dateModified":472,"description":473,"extension":13,"image":474,"meta":475,"navigation":21,"path":476,"rawbody":477,"section":478,"seo":479,"sitemap":480,"stem":481,"tags":482,"__hash__":484},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-tests-ai-irrigation-in-a-parlier-almond-orchard-sprinkler-by-sprinkler.md","UC Merced tests AI irrigation in a Parlier almond orchard, sprinkler by sprinkler",false,"CVAI Agriculture Desk",{"type":7,"value":349,"toc":465},[350,354,358,374,377,380,384,387,390,393,396,400,403,406,409,413,416,419,422,425,428,431,434,437,452,455,459],[351,352,345],"h1",{"id":353},"uc-merced-tests-ai-irrigation-in-a-parlier-almond-orchard-sprinkler-by-sprinkler",[64,355,357],{"id":356},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[359,360,361,365,368,371],"ol",{},[362,363,364],"li",{},"UC Merced and UC ANR researchers installed an AI-run irrigation system in an almond orchard at the Kearney research center in Parlier.",[362,366,367],{},"One test bed is irrigated the traditional way and one by the AI system, so researchers can compare water use and production.",[362,369,370],{},"Professor Wan Du leads the project, which was funded through the Fall 2023 Climate Action Seed Funds.",[362,372,373],{},"Students working with the nonprofit From Farms to Incubators documented the project in stories, photos and videos.",[69,375,376],{},"\"We have sprinklers under almost every tree so we can control them,\" Wan Du said.",[69,378,379],{},"That's the setup in an almond block at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. Researchers from UC Merced and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources have put an artificial intelligence system in charge of when each sprinkler opens and how long it runs. They want to know if an algorithm can grow the same crop on less water.",[64,381,383],{"id":382},"two-test-beds-one-comparison","Two test beds, one comparison",[69,385,386],{},"Du is a computer science and engineering professor at UC Merced, and he leads the project. There are two test beds. One gets watered the traditional way, and the other runs on the AI system.",[69,388,389],{},"\"We will compare how much water each test bed will use,\" Du said in a UC account of the project, \"and then compare the production and result of these two fields.\"",[69,391,392],{},"The system measures moisture in the soil, then the potential for water to move up through a tree and out the leaves. That data gets uploaded to the internet. An algorithm reads it and decides whether to open a sprinkler and how long to leave it on.",[69,394,395],{},"Two other professors built the parts underneath. Safeeq Khan, a civil and environmental engineering professor who works in water resource management and soil science, built the soil model. Stefano Carpin, who teaches computer science and engineering, developed the AI model.",[64,397,399],{"id":398},"what-its-supposed-to-save","What it's supposed to save",[69,401,402],{},"Du said the goal is money in growers' pockets as much as water in the ground.",[69,404,405],{},"\"We want to save as much water as we can,\" Du said. \"Saving water will reduce the cost to growers, and we can save the natural resource for the next generation.\"",[69,407,408],{},"The money came from the Fall 2023 round of the Climate Action Seed Funds. When UC wrote about the project in September 2025, it said the system would be operating by the following spring, once the trees started to flower. That puts the first real run at bloom.",[64,410,412],{"id":411},"the-students-documenting-it","The students documenting it",[69,414,415],{},"Part of the grant's goal was spreading the word. Amy Wu, founder and chief content director of the nonprofit From Farms to Incubators, built a program to teach students how to communicate about ag tech. Wu met the professors at UC Merced, then drove out to Kearney to see the system and document it.",[69,417,418],{},"\"We trained them on interviewing and writing, to document the journey of the AI-generated crop irrigation system,\" Wu said.",[69,420,421],{},"Two of the students were UC Merced undergraduates, and the third had recently graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay. They put together a package of stories, photos and videos meant for everyone from consumers curious about new technology to growers looking for help with climate change.",[69,423,424],{},"Anvi Kudaraya, a UC Merced computer science and engineering undergraduate from Pleasanton, wrote Python scripts to process real sensor data from the field. She said it taught her \"how to handle messy, real-world datasets and prepare them for machine learning models.\"",[69,426,427],{},"Savio Jabbo, a computer science and engineering major from San Diego, saw the payoff on a small scale.",[69,429,430],{},"\"Usually the work that goes into these projects goes unnoticed,\" Jabbo said. \"But when you see the impact that it has even on such a small scale, it feels like the whole world should know about it.\"",[69,432,433],{},"Wu called the pilot a success.",[69,435,436],{},"\"I thought it went very, very well,\" Wu said. \"We went into this not knowing what to expect, but we wanted to expose young people to the possibilities of communicating food and farming.\"",[69,438,439],{},[440,441,442,443,445,446,451],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[73,444,347],{}," team and developed by ",[447,448,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":449},[450],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[453,454],"hr",{},[64,456,458],{"id":457},"source","Source",[69,460,461],{},[447,462,463],{"href":463,"rel":464},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.universityofcalifornia.edu\u002Fnews\u002Fai-powered-irrigation-system-offers-opportunities-communications-well-farming",[450],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":466},[467,468,469,470,471],{"id":356,"depth":11,"text":357},{"id":382,"depth":11,"text":383},{"id":398,"depth":11,"text":399},{"id":411,"depth":11,"text":412},{"id":457,"depth":11,"text":458},"2026-11-08","Researchers at UC Merced and UC ANR set up two test beds at the Kearney center in Parlier. One is watered the usual way and one is run by an algorithm, so they can compare water use and production.",null,{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fuc-merced-tests-ai-irrigation-in-a-parlier-almond-orchard-sprinkler-by-sprinkler","---\nauthor: CVAI Agriculture Desk\ndate: '2026-11-08'\ndateModified: '2026-11-08'\ndescription: Researchers at UC Merced and UC ANR set up two test beds at the Kearney\n  center in Parlier. One is watered the usual way and one is run by an algorithm,\n  so they can compare water use and production.\nsection: agriculture\ntags:\n- agriculture\n- water\n- fresno\ntitle: UC Merced tests AI irrigation in a Parlier almond orchard, sprinkler by sprinkler\n---\n\n# UC Merced tests AI irrigation in a Parlier almond orchard, sprinkler by sprinkler\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. UC Merced and UC ANR researchers installed an AI-run irrigation system in an almond orchard at the Kearney research center in Parlier.\n2. One test bed is irrigated the traditional way and one by the AI system, so researchers can compare water use and production.\n3. Professor Wan Du leads the project, which was funded through the Fall 2023 Climate Action Seed Funds.\n4. Students working with the nonprofit From Farms to Incubators documented the project in stories, photos and videos.\n\n\"We have sprinklers under almost every tree so we can control them,\" Wan Du said.\n\nThat's the setup in an almond block at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. Researchers from UC Merced and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources have put an artificial intelligence system in charge of when each sprinkler opens and how long it runs. They want to know if an algorithm can grow the same crop on less water.\n\n## Two test beds, one comparison\n\nDu is a computer science and engineering professor at UC Merced, and he leads the project. There are two test beds. One gets watered the traditional way, and the other runs on the AI system.\n\n\"We will compare how much water each test bed will use,\" Du said in a UC account of the project, \"and then compare the production and result of these two fields.\"\n\nThe system measures moisture in the soil, then the potential for water to move up through a tree and out the leaves. That data gets uploaded to the internet. An algorithm reads it and decides whether to open a sprinkler and how long to leave it on.\n\nTwo other professors built the parts underneath. Safeeq Khan, a civil and environmental engineering professor who works in water resource management and soil science, built the soil model. Stefano Carpin, who teaches computer science and engineering, developed the AI model.\n\n## What it's supposed to save\n\nDu said the goal is money in growers' pockets as much as water in the ground.\n\n\"We want to save as much water as we can,\" Du said. \"Saving water will reduce the cost to growers, and we can save the natural resource for the next generation.\"\n\nThe money came from the Fall 2023 round of the Climate Action Seed Funds. When UC wrote about the project in September 2025, it said the system would be operating by the following spring, once the trees started to flower. That puts the first real run at bloom.\n\n## The students documenting it\n\nPart of the grant's goal was spreading the word. Amy Wu, founder and chief content director of the nonprofit From Farms to Incubators, built a program to teach students how to communicate about ag tech. Wu met the professors at UC Merced, then drove out to Kearney to see the system and document it.\n\n\"We trained them on interviewing and writing, to document the journey of the AI-generated crop irrigation system,\" Wu said.\n\nTwo of the students were UC Merced undergraduates, and the third had recently graduated from California State University, Monterey Bay. They put together a package of stories, photos and videos meant for everyone from consumers curious about new technology to growers looking for help with climate change.\n\nAnvi Kudaraya, a UC Merced computer science and engineering undergraduate from Pleasanton, wrote Python scripts to process real sensor data from the field. She said it taught her \"how to handle messy, real-world datasets and prepare them for machine learning models.\"\n\nSavio Jabbo, a computer science and engineering major from San Diego, saw the payoff on a small scale.\n\n\"Usually the work that goes into these projects goes unnoticed,\" Jabbo said. \"But when you see the impact that it has even on such a small scale, it feels like the whole world should know about it.\"\n\nWu called the pilot a success.\n\n\"I thought it went very, very well,\" Wu said. \"We went into this not knowing what to expect, but we wanted to expose young people to the possibilities of communicating food and farming.\"\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Agriculture 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\u002Fwww.universityofcalifornia.edu\u002Fnews\u002Fai-powered-irrigation-system-offers-opportunities-communications-well-farming\n","agriculture",{"title":345,"description":473},{"loc":476},"news\u002Fuc-merced-tests-ai-irrigation-in-a-parlier-almond-orchard-sprinkler-by-sprinkler",[478,483,124],"water","Kn6v21zl39cFJTl23V5QBflKGc5xdmvXRXIegHau_W0",{"id":269,"title":270,"body":486,"description":275,"extension":13,"intro":276,"meta":490,"navigation":21,"order":278,"path":279,"seo":491,"stem":281,"__hash__":282},{"type":7,"value":487,"toc":488},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":489},[],{},{"title":270,"description":275},1794097391338]