Dr. Ines Hanrahan

WTFRC Executive Director

Dr. Hanrahan serves as Executive Director of the WTFRC effective August 2018. She was previously employed as a Project Manager by the Commission since 2005.

Ines holds a Diploma in Agricultural Engineering from Humboldt University Berlin, Germany in 1999 and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Washington State University.

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Her professional background in practical and academic horticulture encompasses research, teaching, and consulting for the past 20+ years. Dr. Hanrahan’s expertise includes the management of scientific projects such as: apple postharvest physiological disorder prevention, optimization of cropping and storage systems for pome fruit, management of plant material evaluation from breeding programs for commercial suitability, and applied food safety research. Overall, her primary focus is on expediting transfer of research results to implementation, while providing an ongoing link between scientists and the industry. In addition, she is passionate about training and mentoring the next generation of industry professionals

Dr. Lav Khot

Associate Professor Ag Engineering

Dr. Khot works in the Agricultural Automation Engineering research area of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. His research and extension program focuses on “Sensing and automation technologies for site specific and precision management of production agriculture.” 

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Special emphasis is towards integration of:

• Remote Sensing (Unmanned and Manned Aerial Systems)

• Ground-based (Proximal) Crop Sensing

• Decision Support Systems and Information Delivery Technologies

• Precise Applications of various Production inputs

• Agricultural Machinery and processes

• Data-based modeling

Dr. Troy Peters

Professor Biological Systems Engineering

Dr. Troy works at the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, WA. Troy's primary focus is on agriculture irrigation while conducting research in Land, Air, Water Resources, and Environmental Engineering (LAWREE). This all includes deficit irrigation, irrigation water hydraulics, irrigation scheduling and management, irrigation automation, sprinkler irrigation efficiency, low energy precision application (LEPA), low elevation spray application (LESA), and crop water estimation.

Dave Brown 

WSU Associate Professor of Soil Science

Dave Browns research group is focused on measuring, modeling and explaining the spatial variability of soil properties and processes at hillslope to regional scales.  In pursuing this research, they make extensive use of digital terrain modeling, optical remote sensing, spatial statistics, and proximal soil sensing techniques (e.g. VisNIR spectroscopy).

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His instructional responsibilities include: (1) an undergraduate course on world agricultural systems (SoilS/CropS 360) taught every fall; (2) a graduate-level Environmental Spatial Statistics course (SOILS/STAT 508) taught every spring.

Bernardita Sallato

Tree Fruit Extension Specialist WSU IAREC

Bernardita’s program provides leadership in applied research, extension, and outreach for the PNW tree fruit industry. Her goal is improving orchard efficiency and fruit production through horticultural management practices and technology.
Main areas of interest are 1) Soils and plant nutrition; 2) Tree fruit stress management; and 3) General horticultural practices for tree fruit production.

Education

M.Sci. Physiology and Fruit Production Area – PUC, Chile (2006)
B.Sci. Agriculture Engineer – Horticulture – PUC, Chile (2004)

Matthew Whiting

Scientist/Professor/ Extension Specialist

• Whole-tree physiology

• High efficiency orchard architecture

• Incorporating automation/mechanization in fruit production systems,

• Environmental control of fruit quality;

• Pollination biology

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Education

• Ph.D., Whole-tree physiology, Washington State University

• M.Sc., Postharvest physiology, University of Guelph

• B.Sc., Horticultural Science and Business, University of Guelph

Lee Kalcsits

Assistant Professor, Tree Fruit Physiology

• Tree fruit physiology

• Abiotic stress

• Plant nutrition

• Impacts of preharvest environment on postharvest physiology

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Program Objectives

• Develop new tools for identifying the nutritional status of fruit trees

• Advance the understanding of how environment (light, temperature, water, nutrients) affects fruit tree physiology, growth and development

• Create management strategies to mitigate physiological problems that are associated with abiotic stress in fruit treesAdd text to your email.