Lav Khot, associate professor and precision agriculture scientist at Washington State University, was named to the Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under 40 Awards’ Class of 2021.
Created by Fruit Growers News, the awards honor outstanding leaders and thinkers who support the fruit industry. Representing every sector, from growers and farm marketers to researchers and suppliers, awardees are chosen by a panel of industry experts and celebrated annually during the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market Expo.
A WSU faculty member since 2013, Khot studies sensing and automation technologies to support fruit and berry crop production. His work helps growers better monitor and manage their crops using precision horticulture engineering technologies. These efforts help ensure optimal use of resources, such as chemicals, water, energy, and labor, as well as improved produce quality.
Originally from India, Khot is an agricultural engineer by training and holds advanced degrees from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Asian Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, and North Dakota State University. Prior to joining WSU, he researched precision ag technologies for citrus production as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Florida.
“I am truly honored to receive this award and be part of the class of 2021 and its emerging industry leaders,” Khot said.
“The fruit industry is rapidly transitioning toward modern production systems and adopting relevant precision ag and automation technologies,” he added. “I hope my efforts help make this technology transition easier and more meaningful for growers. I earnestly thank the awards committee for this selection and recognition of efforts put forth by my research group at WSU CPAAS and our industry recognized collaborators. It’s definitely encouraging.”
Khot and the rest of the class will be featured in the October 2021 issues of Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News.
Learn more about the awards here.