Salinas Valley to get agricultural robotics center

A SWATH of prime Salinas Valley farmland near the intersection of Highway 68 and River Road will soon be abuzz — not with pollinators, but with the drones and robots of dozens of high-tech agricultural start-up companies. The new nonprofit venture, which will bring together growers, educational institutions and funders, is being hailed by its organizers as the first in the nation to combine a “robotics development center with a farm” and promises to make the Salinas Valley a leader in agricultural innovation, especially in growing and harvesting leafy greens and berries. Plans for Reservoir Farms were announced Wednesday at an autonomous agriculture conference in Yolo County, where the focus is on farming advancements to keep the United States competitive against foreign growers.