Imagine walking into a field, plucking a leaf off a grapevine, scanning it and knowing within seconds if the plant is healthy, needs fertilizer or is showing signs of stress.

A team from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at University of California, Davis, has done just that.

Meet the Leaf Monitor, a mobile tool paired with a handheld spectrometer backed by artificial intelligence and predictive modeling that could revolutionize how farmers monitor and manage crop decisions by providing real-time nutrition and trait information in the field.

Construction officially began on the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation Wednesday with a groundbreaking event celebrating the future $64.4 million facility at the University of California, Davis.

Bees play a critical role in California’s agricultural ecosystems by pollinating many important crops, including almonds. Climate change, habitat loss, pesticides and other factors pose problems for bee populations.

To date, KIND Snacks has donated $350,000 for bee research at UC Davis, led by Entomology Professors Neal Williams and Elina Niño for continued research on bee health. California grows the vast majority of the world’s almonds, which rely on bees and other pollinators.