Digital Agriculture Laboratory

Imagine you could scan a leaf of a plant like a barcode and instantly know its health status. The Leaf Monitor — a mobile tool in the Digital Ag Lab App developed by a team of researchers from the UC Davis Digital Agriculture Laboratory — does just that: It can analyze leaf spectral data using a machine learning model and returns key nutrient values indicative of plant health within seconds.

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Published on September 24, 2025 UC Davis by Emily Dooley

Leaf Monitor, a new mobile tool backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling, could revolutionize how farmers monitor crops and make decisions by providing real-time nutrition and leaf trait information in the field.

“Having this information is very valuable for the farmers,” said Alireza Pourreza, associate professor of Cooperative Extension and director of the Digital Agriculture Laboratory in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis. “In five seconds, they can have a sense of how much nutrition they have in a leaf.”

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Published on February 7, 2025, UC Davis AIFS News

Farmers need to use the right amount of nitrogen to help crops grow strong and healthy. However, too much nitrogen can be harmful — it can lower crop yields, pollute water supplies, and damage the environment. This challenge is especially true for California’s almond orchards.

In a new study, researchers explored different ways to measure nitrogen levels in almond trees using remote sensing — techniques that capture data from a distance, often using cameras on airplanes or drones.

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Published on July 15, 2024, Progressive Crop Consultant Magazine

Accurate nitrogen monitoring and appropriate nitrogen management are crucial in California due to the state’s unique environmental challenges and agricultural practices. N is essential for crop growth, but excessive use can lead to serious environmental issues, including groundwater contamination and the emission of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, has seen significant N inputs from both synthetic fertilizers and manure, leading to widespread nitrate pollution in groundwater, a critical issue since many communities rely on groundwater for drinking. To address these challenges, California has enacted regulations that require more precise N applications aligned with crop needs. This initiative aims to reduce the amount of excess N that can leach into groundwater or run off into surface waters. The regulations, such as those detailed by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, include requirements for growers to submit Nitrogen Management Plans that report both the N applied and the N removed by harvested crops. This approach helps calculate N use efficiency and identify areas where improvements are necessary.

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Released on Mar 2024

Season 2, Episode 7 | Precision Ag Requires Sensors and Models with Feedback Loops

How far have we come in developing sensors for monitoring vineyard nutrition? In this episode, Dr. Alireza Pourreza, Associate Professor of UC Cooperative Extension, talks about his lab’s research into nitrogen sensor development and the robust models they feed into that will be useful for farm decision-making.

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September 5, 2023

When it comes to AI, farmers will need to strike a balance

Artificial intelligence can transform agriculture and food production, revolutionize decision-making and help farmers address emerging issues from crop diseases to extreme weather events.