The Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) held its 15th Annual Research Showcase at Cal Poly Pomona's AGRIscapes on Nov. 5, providing a platform for projects on major issues facing the industry.
The event included a poster session by ARI researchers and students, and oral presentations on selected projects from each campus.
Cal Poly Pomona projects included:
- Research into wasps that might be used to control an insect that spreads disease in citrus
- Breeding forms of lettuce suited for farming in desert areas and better nutrient use
- Turning waste from olive oil production into food
- Using less water to grow healthy grass
For master's student Carol Pow Chang, doing research provided an opportunity for hands-on learning that is a hallmark of Cal Poly Pomona.
"I had learned about the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) machine in class, and I was able to use one in the lab to define the different anthocyanins, which are natural pigments, in grape skins," said Chang. "Through the project, I was also able to present our work at conferences and socialize with professionals in my area. I got to see lots of other people's experiments, which gave me ideas about I could do next and how I could innovate something."
ARI supports faculty and students whose research has the potential to improve and sustain California agriculture. The CSU ARI member institutions are Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Chico, and the associate campuses are Humboldt and Monterey Bay. For more information, visit the ARI website.