Two UC Davis Ag Innovation Showcase Alumni have been featured in an Agri-Pulse article by Eric Englert as tech startups to revolutionize farming. XTB Laboratories’ CEO Ted Batkin and UAV-IQ’s Andreas Neuman were interviewed to talk about their respective companies technology and how it will change the way we produce, protect, and optimize agriculture.

UAV-IQ uses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones to provide high resolution images and analysis for agriculture clients. The company was started in the US Air Force where Neuman was able to gain insight into the capabilities of remote sensing and unmanned aviation. The company presented their technology at the Ag Innovation Showcase this year.

XTB Laboratories provides technology to agricultural organizations for early detection of plant disease infestations using gas emissions to non-invasively diagnose trees before symptoms begin to show. Currently there is no diagnostic test available to the citrus industry beyond PCR, which has a high false diagnosis rate due to uneven pathogen distribution in trees. The company won the Ideas, Energized Award at the Ag Innovation Showcase in 2016.