California State University, Fresno

C A L I F O R N I A A G R I C U L T U R A L T E C H N O L O G Y I N S T I T U T E

FFFF F ALL

200

4AL

L 20

04AL

L 20

04AL

L 20

04AL

L 20

04 In this issue...SWAT testing planned ......... 4

Sensory evaluators trained ... 5

ETo equations analyzed ....... 6

E-commerce model offered .. 8

Food science researchon the reboundNew research centerhead seeks increase inindustry partnerships

See Food, Page 2

F

Agribusinessconference setfor November

See Outlook, Page 3

ew avenues for researchin food processingtechnology are openingthis year following the

appointment of a Fresno State facultymember to direct the Center for FoodScience and Nutrition Research(CFSNR).

Gour Choudhury, Ph.D., joinedthe university faculty last fall and isserving as an associate professor inthe Department of Food Science andNutrition as well as heading theCFSNR. Prior to his Fresno Stateappointment, Choudhury was directorof research at the Food PackagingTechnology Center that he establishedat the University of Wisconsin-Stoutin Menomonie, Wisconsin. Prior tohis three-year tenure at UW, heserved as a research and developmentscientist in a private company.

Choudhury arrived at FresnoState with a desire to conduct foodengineering and processing researchas well as to teach, he said in discuss-ing his vision for the CFSNR. One ofthe things that drew him here, he said,was the excellent potential for a foodtechnology research center to partnerwith the area industries.

“We can jointly pursue this effortto benefit food processors and agricul-ture in the central San Joaquin Valley,”he said. “However, we need infrastruc-ture and equipment to move forwardwith this.”

As part of his effort to bolster foodscience research, Choudhury wrote asuccessful federal grant proposal thatnetted Fresno State $200,000 from theU.S. Department of Agriculture. The

rom local to regional and frommacro to mega, the themes andissues affecting California

agriculture are being lined up fordiscussion by an assortment of expertsat the 23rd Annual AgribusinessManagement Conference set forThursday, Nov. 4, in Fresno, California.

The event will feature individualaddresses by prominent regional andnational economists and a paneldiscussion focusing on air, water andworkers’ compensation issues, reportedMickey Paggi, director of FresnoState’s Center for Agricultural Business(CAB).

CAB is hosting the event inpartnership with Bank of America Corp.It will be held at the Radisson Hotel &Conference Center downtown.

Presenting the mega picture foragriculture will be luncheon keynotespeaker David M. Kohl, professor of

Associate professor Gour Choudhury will over-see food processing research and developmentactivities for the Center for Food Science andNutrition Research.

N

2 FALL 2004 UPDATE

Food: USDAgrant enablesequipmentpurchaseeducation grant will support the pur-chase of new equipment to be used forresearch and training at the dairy foodsprocessing laboratory. The equipmentincludes a new cheese vat, milk pasteur-izer, homogenizer, butter churn, andother items.

While working at other universitiesbefore joining Fresno State, Choudhuryobtained five patents on process engi-neering and automation. The engineer-ing patents were for new processes formanufacturing value-added products.The automation patents were for sensorsand systems for on-line detection ofproduct defects.

Here at Fresno State, Choudhuryhopes not only to train students inresearch and production processes, butalso to develop products and technolo-gies for practical use by area foodprocessing companies.

“I like to develop products and pro-cesses that benefit the university and the

industry,” he said. “I’d rather developsomething that shows up in the super-market and have tangible benefit to theindustry.”

Choudhury’s immediate priority isto complete purchase of the new pro-cessing equipment and oversee installa-tion. Additional priorities includemaking contacts and developing rela-tionships with representatives from theregion’s food processing industry. Fromthose relationships, Choudhury said,

opportunities will grow for researchpartnerships that will benefit both theindustry and Fresno State students.

In collaboration with other faculty,Choudhury also is developing a newinterdisciplinary program on dairyscience and technology. The combina-tion of new program coursework andprocessing equipment will providestudents with training in production,processing, packaging and marketingso they can step right in to significantindustry positions after graduation.

The CFSNR is one of four researchcenters operating under the administra-tion of the California AgriculturalTechnology Institute (CATI).

from Page 1

Gour Choudhury (left) watches as Daniel Avila, head technician for Fresno State’s dairyproducts processing unit, tests the acidity level of milk in the laboratory.

Research, development goals for CFSNRby Gour Choudhury, Center Administrator and Associate Professor of Food Science

Goal 1 – Pursue researchGoal 1 – Pursue researchGoal 1 – Pursue researchGoal 1 – Pursue researchGoal 1 – Pursue researchand development in foodand development in foodand development in foodand development in foodand development in foodscience and nutrition inscience and nutrition inscience and nutrition inscience and nutrition inscience and nutrition inareas such asareas such asareas such asareas such asareas such as

1) Dairy foods2) Value-added processing3) Fruits and vegetables4) Functional foods5) Food safety6) Food security7) Food packaging8) Culinary science9) Obesity prevention

10) Health promotion

Goal 2 – FacilitateGoal 2 – FacilitateGoal 2 – FacilitateGoal 2 – FacilitateGoal 2 – Facilitatecollaborative projects amongcollaborative projects amongcollaborative projects amongcollaborative projects amongcollaborative projects among

• California StateUniversity, Fresno

• Other universities• Government agencies• Commodity groups• Industry

– Food processing– Food service– Health and nutrition

Goal 3 – Promote aGoal 3 – Promote aGoal 3 – Promote aGoal 3 – Promote aGoal 3 – Promote aresearch environment forresearch environment forresearch environment forresearch environment forresearch environment for

• Faculty• Students

– Undergraduate– Graduate

• Industry/other partners

Goal 4 – ProvideGoal 4 – ProvideGoal 4 – ProvideGoal 4 – ProvideGoal 4 – Providecontinuing education andcontinuing education andcontinuing education andcontinuing education andcontinuing education andtraining in the areas oftraining in the areas oftraining in the areas oftraining in the areas oftraining in the areas of

• Food science• Nutrition

Goal 5 – MaximizeGoal 5 – MaximizeGoal 5 – MaximizeGoal 5 – MaximizeGoal 5 – Maximizedissemination of all centerdissemination of all centerdissemination of all centerdissemination of all centerdissemination of all centeroutcomes and activitiesoutcomes and activitiesoutcomes and activitiesoutcomes and activitiesoutcomes and activities

In an article featuring the trialapplication of CO

2 to strawberry

plants, the July issue of Update inad-vertently misused the servicemarkCarbogationsm brand, which is theproperty of Ag Gas®. Carbogationsm

is a servicemark filed for in the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office by AgGas®, and its use is subject to federaltrademark protection. Proper useshould read as “Carbogationsm brandCO

2 enrichment.”

Editor’s Correction

UPDATE FALL 2004 3

Center for Agricultural Business

Outlook: Air, water and workers’ comp on topic listagricultural finance andsmall business manage-ment and entrepreneur-ship at Virginia TechUniversity.

During his 20-plus-year professional career,Kohl has conductedmore than 3,000 work-shops and seminars foragribusiness groups suchas bankers and lenders,regulators, and produc-ers. He has received 11major teaching awardsand eight major extension and publicservice awards from Virginia Tech andCornell University, and he is a two-timerecipient of the American AgriculturalEconomics Association’s OutstandingTeaching Award.

‘Megaforces of Agriculture’In his conference address, titled

“Megaforces of Agriculture,” Kohlwill discuss farm and ranch structuresegmentation, market trends, biotech-nology, information technology, andgovernment policies that will affectthe global agricultural economy.

Prior to Kohl’s address, severaleconomics specialists will examineCalifornia agriculture in relation tointernational markets.

‘Economic Health of Ag’John B. Penson, Jr., the Regents

Professor and Stiles Professor ofAgriculture from Texas A&M univer-sity, will outline the “Economic Healthof Agriculture: a Macro Perspective,”and CAB Director Mickey Paggi willdiscuss specific aspects of Californiaagriculture.

A discussion of globalization andCalifornia agriculture will follow. RayneThompson, director of national affairsfor International Trade and Plant Health,California Farm Bureau Federation, will

moderate presentations on the impactsof globalization. Mark Lange, presidentand CEO of the National CottonCouncil, will provide an overview ofdevelopments affecting the outlook forcotton and other crops. Robert Schramof Schramm, Williams and AssociatesInc. will focus on the impact of interna-tional forces on California specialtycrops.

Air, water, workers’ compA second morning panel discussion

will address labor and environmentalissues affecting California agriculture,Paggi said. Discussing air quality issueswill be Roger Isom, vice president anddirector of technical services for theCalifornia Cotton Ginners and GrowersAssociations. Mike Wade, executivedirector of the Agricultural WaterManagement Council, will discusswater issues, and California legislatorCharles Poochigian, state senator fromthe 14th district, will address workers’compensation reform.

Written commodity reports alsowill be included in the conferenceproceedings. Commodities include wineand table grapes, raisins, tree fruit,almonds, walnuts, pistachios, citrus,tomatoes, dairy, vegetables, beef,alfalfa, cotton, and feed grains andprotein meals.

At left: Guestsgather for lunchat the 2003AgribusinessManagementConference.Below: MichiganState professorTom Reardondiscussesglobalization andagriculture atlast year’s event.

from Page 1

Upcoming eventsNov. 4 – 23rd Annual Agribusiness Manage-ment Conference in Fresno, California. Fordetails, call 559-278-4405.

Nov. 17 – Farm Labor Contractor EducationInstitute class at the Hilton in Santa Rosa,California. For details, call 559-278-4405.

Dec. 2 – Farm Labor Contractor EducationInstitute class at the Piccadilly Inn Airportin Fresno. For details, call 559-278-4405.

Dec. 9 – Farm Labor Contractor EducationInstitute class at the Embassy Suites Hotelin Palm Desert, California. For details, call559-278-4405.

The conference will concludefollowing the luncheon. Registration feeis $85 for registrations postmarked byOct. 29. For additional registration orconference information, call 559-278-4405 or visit the CAB website atcati.csufresno.edu.

4 FALL 2004 UPDATE

Center for Irrigation Technology

Ag engineer applies skillsto water, air quality studies

Agricultural engineer Barry Goodrich analyzes water sample for salt content as part of a study of anintegrated on-farm drainage management (IFDM) system.

Oct. 28 – Agricultural Pumping EfficiencyProgram (APEP) Sutter County pump andirrigation efficiency seminar in Yuba City,California. Call 530-674-1461 for details.

Nov. 4 – APEP Malcolm Media Grape Daywith exhibits and a pump efficiency seminarin Easton, California. Call 559-298-6675.

Nov. 9 – APEP Yolo Energy EfficiencyProgram seminar at the Woodland AgMuseum. Call 530-753-9337 for details.

Nov. 10 – APEP Malcolm Media WineGrape Day irrigation efficiency seminar inPaso Robles, California. Call 559-298-6675.

Nov. 10 – APEP pump efficiency seminar inGridley, California. Call 530-534-0112 ext.120 for details.

Nov. 17 – APEP Malcolm Media NutGrowers Day pumping efficiency seminarin Ripon, California. Call 559-298-6675.

Upcoming events

Testing protocoldeveloped forSWAT controllers

I rrigation engineering specialists atthe Center for Irrigation Technol-ogy (CIT) have finalized testing

protocols for a new type of residentiallandscape irrigation system.

Called Smart Water ApplicationTechnolgy (SWAT), the system featuresthe use of electronic sprinkler controllersgoverned by the receipt of weather and/or soil moisture data. SWAT technologyhas the potential to significantly increasewater use efficiency, with water applica-tions based on the needs of the plant, noton arbitrary timer settings, as is the casewith most residential systems.

The concept of irrigation controlledautomatically by recorded weather datais not new, noted CIT irrigation engineerEd Norum in explaining the project.However, communications software forsprinkler controllers has only recentlybeen refined, and manufacturers whohave developed systems for the market-

specialist in computermodeling has joined theCenter for IrrigationTechnology (CIT) research

staff to help address air quality issues.Barry Goodrich, who earned a

bachelor’s degree in agricultural engi-neering from Texas A&M Universityand is completing his master’s thesis,is overseeing air and water samplingactivities for Fresno State facultyresearch scientist Charles Krauter.

If one were to ask what the con-nections are between air quality issuesand irrigation, Krauter would outlineseveral: one, he said, involves dairyoperations, where irrigation and airquality are directly related by theway the water is used.

“It has to do with manure handling.In almost every case, the daily collectionof manure is done by flushing the freestalls with water,” Krauter said. “Themanure is managed by suspending itin water, holding it in a lagoon, thenirrigating with it. Part of our work is tomeasure the gases volatizing from thewater.”

Krauter has assigned Goodrich tolead a research team in recordingemissions of certain gases from aroundseveral dairies in the central andsouthern San Joaquin Valley. Over recent months, using differentsampling methods, the team has re-corded data on atmospheric ammonia,hydrogen sulfide, and reactive organicgases (ROG’s), which can contribute toozone formation. Part of Goodrich’swork is to log and analyze the data, thento develop software models that willpredict dairy emissions based on factorssuch as number of cows and/or climateconditions.

The models Goodrich’s teamproduces will be submitted to the federalEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)for use in developing new, more accu-rate air quality standards for dairies andother farm operations.

Another air and water-relatedproject Goodrich is working on involvesmeasuring salt deposition from aprototype integrated on-farm drainage

See Water, Page 7

See Protocol, Page 7

A

UPDATE FALL 2004 5

Viticulture and Enology Research Center

F Sensory panel leaderSherrie Holzer, anundergraduatestudent in enology,places red winesamples throughopening in tastetesting booth. Panelmember in thebooth will receivethe samples.

Panel member Jim Michael,associate director of Information

Technology Services at FresnoState, conducts a triangle test

for the sensory lab.

Sensory evaluation

Upcoming events

New laboratory offers evaluationof university, commercial wines

aculty and students at FresnoState’s Viticulture andEnology Research Center(VERC) have a new asset

to aid them in their research this year:an official sensory lab where trainedpanelists evaluate wine.

The lab was opened this springfollowing months of developmentalwork by Susan Rodriguez, who servesas a post-doctoral research scientist forVERC. Enology students Sherrie Holzerand Linda Baehr assisted in getting thelab up and running.

“The key purpose of the lab is totest wines made in our winery,” Rodri-guez said. Since Fresno State maintainsboth a research and production winery,the lab has become an important assetfor formal evaluation of wines.

Rodriguez and her assistants havetrained 30 panelists in an evaluationcalled “difference, or discrimination,testing.” In one of these tests, thetriangle test, a panelist is given threewine samples, two of which are thesame wine and one that is different.The panelist sniffs the samples, thentastes each wine by sipping and swish-ing a small amount inside themouth. The panelist does notswallow the sample, but spitsit into a cup or spittoon.

After carefully tasting thethree wines, the panelist selectsthe sample that he or she thinksis different from the other two.

While difference testingmay seem like a simple pro-

cedure, it is an important component ofwine evaluation, since winemakers canuse the results to determine whetherdifferent yeasts or winemaking methods,for example, make a difference in theflavor of the same variety of wine.

A second, more complex level ofwine tasting is called “descriptive anal-ysis.” It involves evaluating specificsensory attributes of wines, Rodriguezsaid. Aroma characteristics such ascherry, grassy, vanilla or buttery can beidentified and quantified by panelists,providing the winemaker with muchmore detailed information.

Training for this type of analysis is

much more extensive, but Rodriguezsaid she is beginning to recruit a panelfor this purpose.

While most commercial wineriesdo their taste testing in house, there areoccasions in which a winery or wineindustry business will desire analysisby an independent lab. One of the twocompanies that has requested winetesting at the VERC Sensory Lab is a

See Sensory, Page 8

Nov. 4 – American Vineyard Central ValleyGrape Expo at the CPDES Hall in Easton,California. Visit www.malcolmmedia.com.

Nov. 10 – American Vineyard MagazineCentral Coast Grape Expo in Paso Robles,California. Visit www.malcolmmedia.com.

Nov 13 – Fresno State Viticulture Club 57thAnnual Fall Harvest BBQ at the Elk’s Lodgein Fresno. For details: 559-278-7151

Nov. 18 – Le Vin Nouveau wine tasting tocelebrate the release of Fresno StateNouveau vintages, at the Fresno StateWinery. For details, call 559-278-2089.

Dec. 1 – Filtration Day workshop forwinemakers and winery production per-sonnel, at the Fresno State Winery. Fordetails, call 559-278-2089.

6 FALL 2004 UPDATE

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

ET

o (I

nche

s)

Normal Year Current Year

Jun Jul Aug

CIMIS Station #80Fresno State

CaliforniaIrrigationManagementInformationSystemOCT

OBER 1

999

Chart shows ETo variation from normal over last three months.

FFFFFor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS infor more CIMIS informormormormormation...ation...ation...ation...ation...

Northern DistrictJamie Dubay(530) 529-7367dubay@water.ca.gov

Central DistrictMark L. Anderson(916) 227-7603marcla@water.ca.gov

San Joaquin DistrictSteve Ewert(559) 230-3334sewert@water.ca.gov

Southern DistrictSergio Fierro(818) 543-4652sergiof@water.ca.gov

CIMIS information is published quarterly in the CATIUpdate newsletter. Articles are provided by the CaliforniaDepartment of Water Resources, CIMIS program staff.

For more information about CIMIS or its programs,contact any of the following representatives at these offices:

lf you are unable to reach a CIMIS representative nearyou, call the CIMIS Helpline at 1-800-922-4647.

Weekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoWeekly ETo Comparisons for FresnoFresno: 06/01/04 – 09/31/04Fresno: 06/01/04 – 09/31/04Fresno: 06/01/04 – 09/31/04Fresno: 06/01/04 – 09/31/04Fresno: 06/01/04 – 09/31/04

OCTO

BER

04OC

TOBE

R 04

OCTO

BER

04OC

TOBE

R 04

OCTO

BER

04

CIMIS Station #80CIMIS Station #80CIMIS Station #80CIMIS Station #80CIMIS Station #80Fresno StateFresno StateFresno StateFresno StateFresno State

Visit the CIMIS home page at

http://www.cimis.water.ca.gov

Note: The last column in Augustis a 1-day total and all other

columns are 7-day totals.

Study under way to reevaluate net radiation (Rn)estimation

There are many empirical andanalytical equations for calculatingreference evapotranspiration (ETo) frommeasured weather parameters. CIMIShas been using the Modified Penmanequation. For the benefit of interestedusers, CIMIS started using the Penman-Monteith equation and is currentlyreporting values calculated by the twoequations. Although both equationswere derived from the original Penmanequation, there are differences in theway some of the intermediate variablessuch as Rn are estimated.

CIMIS recently conducted a studythat compared ETo and Rn estimated bythe two methods. Results from the studyhave shown that there are no significantdifferences between ETo values esti-mated by the two methods. There were,however, differences between Rnestimates, especially toward higher

values. Since there was no measured Rnat the time, it was recommended thatCIMIS purchase new equipment tomeasure Rn and conduct further studies.Accordingly, CIMIS purchased oneCNR1 and five NR-Lite net radiometersand installed them near the CIMISweather station in Davis, California.

The Kipp and Zonen CNR1 netradiometer has two upward facing andtwo downward facing sensors. Theupward facing sensors measure incom-ing solar and far infrared radiation,whereas the downward facing sensorsmeasure outgoing (reflected andemitted) radiation. Unlike CNR1, NR-Lite does not have separate sensors formeasuring the shortwave and longwavecomponents. Hence, it measures the

solar and far infrared balance (Rn) at thesurface. Although the accuracy of Rnmeasured by NR-Lite is good for mostapplications, it is generally accepted tobe less accurate compared to the CNR1.

All sensors used have a 180-degreefield of view and are mounted on ahorizontal tube at approximately twometers above the surface.

The Rn data has been collected forover one month, and we intend tocontinue collecting for at least one yearto incorporate the effects of seasonalvariability. At the end of the studyperiod, comparisons will be madebetween measured Rn from net radiom-eters and estimated Rn from the nearbyCIMIS station. Also, Rn measured bythe CNR1 and NR-Lite will be com-pared to evaluate the performance of theNR-Lite radiometers. The instrumentswill then be removed from the Davis siteand installed next to other CIMISstations for further studies.

UPDATE FALL 2004 7

Protocol: Manufacturers cancontact CIT for testing proceduresplace want to test their products forefficiency and reliability.

“Testing will help us to see if thecompany has properly integrated climatesystem control variables to get a satis-factory response from the vegetationtheir system is irrigating,” he said.

The testing protocol, developed byCIT for the Irrigation Association (IA),features computer-based software thattells whether a controller applies enoughwater to meet the needs of a virtuallandscape.

Manufacturers have devised

different methods for capturing and usingweather data, Norum said. Some systemsuse historical climatological data toschedule irrigations. Some use on-sitetemperature or rainfall sensors. Othersmay use a nearby weather station torecord and transmit data to a home site.

The IA recently announced thetesting protocol is ready for use at CIT,so Norum anticipates inquiries by systemmanufacturers to begin soon.

For more information about controlsystem testing, Norum may be contactedat CIT at 559-278-2066 or by email atedward_norum@csufresno.edu.

CIT engineer Ed Norum checks readings on an irrigationcontroller used in developing a formal testing protocol for

the Irrigation Association. At right is a controller face.

from Page 4

Water: Data to beused in developingemissions factorsfrom Page 4management (IFDM) system on theSan Joaquin Valley’s West Side. Inthat system, saline drainage watercollected from an irrigation systemis sprayed from sprinklers over anopen area called an evaporator. Asthe spray is dispersed, the waterevaporates and the salt crystals fallto the ground where they can becollected.

A potential problem for thissystem on the West Side is wind,Goodrich noted.

“What happens is, the windswirls and catches the water drops.As the water evaporates, the saltcrystals catch on the air currentsand are carried away,” he said.

To help determine salt disper-sion factors for such systems,Goodrich and a team of techniciansset out petri dishes in a grid patternaround one sprinkler. The place-ments extended to 180 metersdistance from the sprinkler. Thesprinkler was run, wind speedswere calculated, and water sampleswere collected from the petri dishes.

Careful recording of theamount of salt in each dish willenable system operators to predictthe extent of salt deposition in agiven area based on wind and otherconditions.

Computer modeling has becomea powerful tool in developing airemissions factors for a variety ofindustries, including the irrigationindustry, Goodrich said. Govern-ment agencies such as the EPA usethe compiled data to help developemissions guidelines that help toprotect our air and environment.

For more information on dairyemissions and the salt depositionstudy, Krauter may be contacted atcharles_krauter@csufresno.edu.

ARI/CATI on the Web!The California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI) oversees appliedagricultural, agribusiness and natural resources research on behalf of California agriculture.For information on our research and project results, visit our website at ari.calstate.edu.

The California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI) administers ARI funding and overseesadditional applied agricultural research. For more information about CATI and its researchcenters, visit us at cati.csufresno.edu, or at our centers:

Center for Agricultural Business (CAB) – cati.csufresno.edu/cabCenter for Food Science and Nutrition Research (CFSNR) – cati.csufresno.edu/cfsnrCenter for Irrigation Technology (CIT) – cati.csufresno.edu/citViticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) – cati.csufresno.edu/vercAgricultural Technology Information Network (ATI-Net) – cati.csufresno.edu/atinet

8 FALL 2004 UPDATE

CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURALTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE

California State University, Fresno2910 E. Barstow Ave. M/S OF115Fresno, California 93740-8009

Update is published quarterly by the California Agricultural Technology Institute

College of AgriculturalSciences and Technology

California State University, FresnoFall 2004

CATI Publication #041001

Voice number: (559) 278-2361Fax number: (559) 278-4849

Director of Operations: Joe BezerraPublications Editor: Steve OlsonEditorial Assistant: John Norton

Non Profit OrganzationU.S. PostagePAIDFresno , CAPermit No. 262

Address Service Requested

In the event of incorrect address information or extra copies to your workplace, please return thisaddress label by mail or fax with your requested changes. CATI fax number is (559) 278-4849.

yeast production company that wantsto learn how different yeasts affectwine flavor. In just a few months oflaboratory operation, the SensoryPanel has evaluated more than 70wines altogether, Rodriguez said.

She hopes word will get out tothe area industry about the VERClaboratory. Several commercial labsoperate in Napa and Sonoma countiesand in the Bay Area, she said, but sheknows of no wine evaluation facili-ties in the San Joaquin Valley.

“With the wine industry grow-ing the way it is, it will be importantto have a laboratory that can servethe needs of this area,” she said.

Panelists for the sensory labinclude university employees andcommunity members. Testing proto-cols can require one to two visitsper week over several weeks. Onetasting session can run from 15 to45 minutes. Rodriguez plans to doadditional screening for morevolunteer panelists. She may becontacted at susanr@csufresno.edufor more information.

Team develops e-commercemodel for confectionary products

research team at CaliforniaState University, Chico hasdeveloped an e-commercebusiness model for confec-

A

Sensory: Industryinvited to requestwine evaluationsfrom Page 5

project was to identify the best approachfor expanding this market. This requiredan extensive review of literature andincluded surveys and focus groupsto assess agribusiness practices andattitudes. A prototype e-business modelwas then developed for testing.

The project also found that moreresearch is needed on security, credit,education, and training needs ofagribusinesses.

Singh’s study was supported inpart by the California State UniversityAgricultural Research Initiative (ARI),administered by the California Agricul-tural Technology Institute (CATI) atCalifornia State University, Fresno.

To view and/or obtain a completecopy of the final report for this project,titled “B2B e-Commerce Researchfor Confectionary and AgriculturalProducts,” visit the ARI website atari.calstate.edu. Go to “Funded Projects”And click on the Research Focus Area:“Agricultural Business.”

tionary products in the agriculturalmarket.

The local, regional, and globalnature of the agricultural market makesit ideal for e-business, reported LalSingh, professor of farm and agribusi-ness management for Chico’s Collegeof Agriculture. Several Internet web-sites already in existence provide anelectronic marketplace for agriculturalbusiness, he said. These sites offer in-formation as well as a place for buyersand sellers to exchange their products.

Because of the size and diversity ofthe confectionery agricultural productsmarket, the Internet is an ideal host forbusiness-to-business (B2B) transac-tions, Singh said. The objective of his