Kurt Wedegaertner is a postdoctoral researcher at Utah State University. He uses drones, ground sensors, and yield monitors to map spatial variability for precision agriculture in tart cherry orchards. In this Postdoc Portrait interview, he shares the importance of his work and what he hopes his research will accomplish.
Precision Orchard Agriculture
Q | What scientific problem are you trying to solve?
Fruit orchards are complex systems, and conditions can change substantially from one part of a block to another. Soil properties, tree size, canopy growth, yield, and nutrient demand may all vary across relatively short distances. My research focuses on understanding this within-orchard variability and finding better ways to map it.
I use tools such as drones, ground-based sensors, yield monitors, and plant nutrient analysis to measure how tart cherry trees grow, produce fruit, and respond to fertilizer. The goal is to turn these measurements into practical information growers can use to make more targeted management decisions, improve fertilizer efficiency, reduce waste, and support long-term orchard productivity.
Q | What drew you to plant sciences?
I was drawn to this field because I enjoy research that connects plant science with real-world agricultural challenges. Specialty crop growers manage complex systems, and I became interested in how technology could help measure those systems and turn the data into useful information.
My interest grew as I worked more closely with orchard crops, where every field has its own patterns in soil, tree growth, and production. I became interested in how modern tools such as sensors, drones, and yield monitors can help answer questions that would have been difficult or impossible to study in the past. We can now collect large amounts of information quickly, across entire orchards, instead of relying only on a small number of measurements. That makes it possible to see patterns in tree growth, yield, and management response that would otherwise be easy to miss. I like that this field lets me combine hands-on agricultural research with new technology to address practical questions that matter to growers.
Q | What’s one thing you learned from your research that you didn’t expect?
One thing I did not expect was how challenging it would still be to use modern technology in a real orchard environment. Drones, sensors, yield monitors, and computer models can collect a huge amount of information, but orchards are messy and complex places. Trees block GPS signals, equipment moves differently from one row to the next, and small issues in the field can create large problems in the data.
I also learned that collecting data is only the first step. The harder challenge is often turning that data into something useful for decision-making. A map or model is not enough on its own. For the work to matter, the results need to be accurate, understandable, and practical enough for a grower to use. That has made me think more carefully about how research can move from measurement to real-world application.
Q | If your research succeeds, what could it change for science or society?
If my research succeeds, it could help make precision agriculture more practical for fruit growers. Many agricultural technologies were first developed for large field crops, but orchards have different challenges because they are permanent systems made up of individual trees. This work could help growers better understand variability within their orchards and use that information to make more targeted management decisions. More broadly, I hope this research can support specialty crop producers, who play an important role in maintaining a diverse food system. Fruit growers face rising costs, labor challenges, and pressure from other land uses, and they need practical tools that help them stay productive and profitable. Supporting orchard production matters because these farms provide fresh, nutritious foods and help keep agricultural landscapes diverse, rather than losing more land to development or relying too heavily on a narrow range of crops.
Q | What question are you most excited to answer next?
The question I am most excited to answer next is how we can better understand and predict yield in orchards. Yield is one of the most important outcomes for growers, but it is difficult to explain because it reflects many factors working together.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
