In 2018, a member of the California Rice Research Board reached out to Zhongli Pan about an insect problem. Pests had been infiltrating rice storage silos and damaging rice quality.
“They asked me, ‘Is there any way to do something better and easier?’” recalls Pan, an adjunct professor in the department of biological and agricultural engineering at UC Davis.
Insect infestation affects crops worldwide, a common problem with processing and storage facilities. Pan is familiar with the issue. He grew up on a farm in northeast China and has studied post-harvest processing of agricultural products since coming to California in 1995, including time spent working at the USDA Agricultural Research Service. With his Davis-based startup, AIVision Food, Pan believes smart technology is key to protecting crops from pests.
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