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Category: News

UGA Precision Horticulture Teams Wins Grand Prize Innovation Award

traceyv on June 18, 2025

The Precision Horticulture Laboratory team and their robotic platform.  Pictured are the two faculty advisors and the six students who made up the team.
The Precision Horticulture Laboratory team and their robotic platform.  Pictured are the two faculty advisors and the six students who made up the team.
 The Precision Horticulture Laboratory led by Dr. Luan Oliveira participated in the Farm Robotics Challenge. This is an annual competition for university student teams with the objective of identifying and solving real-world agricultural challenges using cutting-edge robotics technology.  The Precision Horticulture Laboratory created a robotic platform that enables spraying drone operations by serving as a mobile launchpad equipped with a water tank, chemical reservoirs, a mixer and a generator—all controlled via a cell phone. Their entry won the Grand Prize Innovation Award and $20,000. View the video of their winning entry.

The team consisted of:

  • Advisors: IIPA members Luan Oliveira and Marcelo Barbosa
  • Students: Regimar dos Santos, Victor Martins, Lucas Sales, João Santos, En’ya Touze, Mateus Naciben

Because of their successful entry, Dr. Oliveira and team were invited to present their innovative solution at the Plug and Play Summit which took place in Silicon Valley last week. This event is designed for innovators and start-ups to present their projects to investors interested in Ag Tech.

Please join us in congratulating Luan and his team on this achievement.

 

2027 U.S. Precision Livestock Farming Conference to be held at the University of Georgia

traceyv on June 11, 2025

2027 US Precision Livestock Farming Conference announcement graphic.We’re excited to announce that the 2027 U.S. Precision Livestock Farming Conference will be held in Athens, Georgia! This achievement is the result of a strong collaborative effort between the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech.

The conference proposal received invaluable support from UGA CAES, UGA IIPA, GTRI Ag-Tech Research Program, and the conference selection committee!

Ranger Nick: Inside UGA’s Precision Agriculture Innovation

traceyv on May 29, 2025

Ranger Nick shakes hands with Dr. George Vellidis in front of a center pivot controller in the field.Ranger Nick explores the cutting-edge world of precision agriculture at the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus. From variable rate irrigation systems to advanced fertilizer application using reflectance sensors and soil conductivity mapping, this episode dives deep into how UGA is revolutionizing farming efficiency and sustainability.

Watch the video

Integrative Precision Agriculture Conference 2025 Grad Poster Competition Winners

traceyv on May 6, 2025

L-R: Priyanka Dahiya, Emmanuella Bredu, Muneeb Elahi Malik, Dr. Lorena Lacerda (poster competition coordinator), Taranjeet Sodhi, Madelyn Willis, and Anish Bhattarai.
L-R: Priyanka Dahiya, Emmanuella Bredu, Muneeb Elahi Malik, Dr. Lorena Lacerda (poster competition coordinator), Taranjeet Sodhi, Madelyn Willis, and Anish Bhattarai.
 Congratulations to the winners of the 2nd Integrative Precision Agriculture Conference Graduate Student Poster Competition. The event took place in Perry, Georgia on May 1 and 2.

M.S.

  • 1stPlace: Madelyn Willis, Crop and Soil Sciences (Matt Levi)
  • 2ndPlace (tie): Anish Bhattarai, Crop and Soil Sciences (Leo Bastos) and Taranjeet Sodhi, Agricultural Engineering (Glen Rains)

Ph.D.

  • 1stPlace: Priyanka Dahiya, Food Science and Technology (Christopher Kucha)
  • 2ndPlace: Emmanuella Bredu, Crop and Soil Sciences (John Snider)
  • 3rdPlace: Muneeb Elahi Malik, Electrical and Computer Engineering, (Md Sultan Mahmud)

 

Investing in Rural America Through Integrative Precision Agriculture

traceyv on April 29, 2025

Meet George Vellidis, director of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture. UGA launched the institute in 2022 to leverage interdisciplinary faculty expertise and industry ties to advance this field. “As researchers, it’s easy for us to work as individuals to solve a particular task,” said Vellidis. “But when we work together to look at problems from different perspectives, we come up with optimal solutions for even bigger challenges.”

Read More

WenZhan Song Receives Lamar Dodd Research Award

traceyv on April 22, 2025

IIPA member, WenZhan Song is a 2025 recipient of the Lamar Dodd Research Creative Research Award.

This award is given to recognize an outstanding body of nationally and internationally recognized scholarly or creative activities in the sciences. Lamar Dodd’s artwork extended into the American West and even into space when he was commissioned by NASA and the Department of the Interior to creatively record numerous scientific achievements. His scientific artwork joined imagination and scientific reality. For this reason, the Lamar Dodd Award was established in 1981 in his honor.