• Date: October 19, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (time subject to change)
• Location: In the general Yakima area (exact location to be determined)
• This event is free to attend but we ask for people to register to get a proper headcount of attendance (registration form will be available soon)

Intended Audience

Technology start-ups, engineering and robotics graduate students, ag-tech developers, and anyone interested in learning the foundational science and practical operations of modern commercial tree fruit production.

Event Theme & Overview

(The agenda and schedule are subject to change.)

This field day serves as an introductory primer for FIRA USA, designed to equip engineers and tech developers with essential horticultural vocabulary, operational insights, and field context to better collaborate with growers and solve real-world agricultural challenges.

Participants will gain hands-on exposure and direct insight into key stages of establishing and managing a commercial tree fruit business:

• Site Selection & Environmental Conditions: Evaluating slope and microclimates for air drainage to prevent spring frost damage, managing soil textures, and leveraging environmental sensor networks such as AgWeatherNet.
• High-Density Orchard Architecture & Training Systems: Transitioning from traditional central leader setups to modern 2D planar and trellis systems (e.g., Spindle, V-trellis, or Upright Fruiting Offshoots) paired with dwarfing rootstocks. Learning how targeted canopy architectures optimize light interception, fruit quality, and accessibility for automated harvest and mechanization platforms.
• Crop Load Management & Pruning Science: Understanding how dormant vs. summer pruning and specialized heading techniques (e.g., “click” pruning) manipulate tree vigor, regulate flower bud formation, and prevent alternate bearing.
• Soil Nutrition & Irrigation Management: Soil pH management and precision nutrient delivery to balance vegetative growth with fruit quality.
• Integrated Pest & Disease Management (IPM): Scouting methods, spray coverage requirements, and air circulation strategies to control major pressures like fire blight and pear psylla.
• Postharvest Science & Economics: Key quality metrics at harvest, storage physiology, and the economic variables driving orchard turnover and yield per acre.

The field day will feature short field presentations paired with hands-on activities to bridge the gap between engineering innovations and biological orchard systems.