Keeping Tabs On Technology Crucial To Your Business [Opinion]
March 13, 2015 
Paul Rusnak
How often is it that you catch yourself thinking: Haven’t I seen/heard/read/wrote/done this before? If you are a creature of habit, like say a farmer or a journalist, then déjà vu is nothing new to you.
As a veteran writer and editor, there are times in which the familiar feeling of already having penned something similar interrupts the crafting of my latest op-ed piece. It’s bound to happen when you cover an industry for a length of time.
Yes, I have written on the importance of technology in agriculture before. But there’s nothing wrong with driving home a good takeaway message more than once.
The Next Level
There’s no question we’ve come a long way in the ability to produce and use tools that once only existed in the wildest of dreams.
Speaking of: Can a genetically modified tree save citrus? Some in the research community think so. I’m pretty sure there are some growers out there willing to risk their livelihood on it, too. If only GMOs weren’t such a touchy subject among the masses.
When Florida Grower posted a poll question asking: Do you think a GMO citrus tree will be the ultimate solution for HLB? Only a slight majority answered in the affirmative.
The results were closer than I had anticipated. Suppose it’s good not to pin your hopes on just one thing. However, looking at the results from a different angle, more people are willing to put their trust in science.
Like it or not, GMOs are part of today’s food dialogue, and most likely will become a larger part of it. Just recently, USDA announced plans to deregulate Arctic Granny and Arctic Golden apples — varieties genetically engineered to suppress the enzyme involved in browning when the fruit is bitten, bruised, or cut. Understandably, this news elicited much feedback on GrowingProduce.com.
Based off the reader comments, there still is much work to bridge the gap between what people know about GMOs and what they think they know. So, perhaps a non-browning apple isn’t going to turn the tide of public perception of GMOs in our produce. But, what if the technology could save an industry, jobs, and/or a beloved fruit? Florida Grower’s April cover story attempts to address the what-ifs and how they apply to HLB. Maybe the prospect of no more orange juice would be enough to get everyone on the same page.
Full Circle
Progression of scientific research and technology continues to amaze. I admire the outside-of-the-box thinking being employed to solve longstanding problems. Did you know nanotechnology might be what ultimately takes care of citrus canker? Well, they’re working on it.
What say you about the prospect of using a 3D printer to build the perfect citrus psyllid “SmartTrap”? It’s already been created.
So what’s next? I can’t wait. Whatever it is, I have a feeling I’ll use this spot to review and encourage readers to keep an open mind about the possibilities. And with possibility, there’s hope.
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