Pear, cherry and apple production are vital to Oregon’s rural economy, with cherry production valued at $68 million and pear production at $90.8 million. But the tree fruit industry faces growing pressure from climate change, rising input costs, labor shortages, higher wages and increasing regulatory demands.
Smarter orchard technologies can improve efficiency, reduce waste and support the long-term sustainability of Oregon’s cherry and pear industries — protecting jobs and rural economies across the state.
Traditional orchard systems were not built for automation, and many labor-saving technologies are still in early development. Meeting these challenges — and protecting the future of Oregon’s specialty crop industry — requires collaboration across agriculture, engineering and industry.
Since 2018, Ashley Thompson, Oregon State University Extension Service fruit crops specialist and assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agricultural Sciences, has worked with faculty in the OSU College of Engineering and Washington State University to develop robotics and artificial intelligence tools for orchard management.
In 2025, Thompson expanded that collaboration by partnering with Irl “Mike” Davis, professor of aeronautics at Columbia Gorge Community College. Davis brings expertise in drone operations and strong industry connections to the project.
The team’s goal is to help growers adopt practical technologies that improve efficiency now while preparing orchards for future automation in pruning, harvesting and packing.
Developing practical solutions
The first major project, funded from 2020 to 2023, created a robotic system that analyzes individual apple trees and applies nitrogen fertilizer based on each tree’s needs.
Developed by the Davidson Lab in the OSU College of Engineering, the system uses artificial intelligence and 3D imaging to identify individual trees and apply fertilizer with precision. This improves sustainability by reducing waste and environmental impact while optimizing crop nutrition.
The project was field-tested in Washington and generated strong interest from growers in Oregon and Washington. Additional findings were published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture in 2025.
Listening to growers and improving technology
In 2024, the team secured new funding through Oregon State to expand the research and bring more disciplines together. Thompson also organized a grower Technology Workshop and Listening Session with agricultural engineers and industry leaders.
Growers and packing house leaders shared a clear message: improving technology at the packing house level could benefit the entire industry, especially smaller growers who may not be able to afford expensive on-farm automation.
This feedback is helping guide future research. Engineers are now using orchard and packing house images of pears to train AI systems to identify fruit on trees and understand how pears move through packing lines. These tools could support future automation in both harvesting and packing.
Expanding drone applications and global partnerships
In 2025, Thompson secured a $29,529 commission grant to develop best practices for applying pesticides with drones in medium-density tree fruit orchards. Thompson, Niall Millar, faculty research assistant, and Davis completed their first applications in fall 2025. Millar also began developing an automated system for measuring spray card coverage.
The research team is also building international partnerships. Thompson and engineering collaborators hosted technology professionals from the Netherlands at the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center and local orchards to explore future collaboration between researchers and orchard technology companies.
Public value
By bringing together horticulture, engineering and industry partners, OSU is helping fruit growers adapt to rising costs, labor shortages and environmental challenges.
Smarter orchard technologies can improve efficiency, reduce waste and support the long-term sustainability of Oregon’s cherry and pear industries — protecting jobs and rural economies across the state.
