“That’s quite an accomplishment for a horticulture graduate student,” says Alan Lakso, professor in the Department of Horticulture and one of Pagay’s advisors. “Due to the combination of engineering and viticulture, we nicknamed the project ‘From the Clean Room to the Tasting Room.'”
The techniques Pagay has developed as part of a collaboration with Abraham Stroock, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, should make it possible to continuously measure the water status of grapevines, other crops, and soils to drive precision irrigation in vineyards, orchards, and other farms, improving their water use efficiency.