Author: traceyv

Raj Khosla has been involved in precision agriculture since its inception, making significant contributions to its development and global adoption. He is the founder and past president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture. Khosla’s research focuses on harnessing spatial and temporal variability in managed agro-ecosystems to improve decision making. Currently, Khosla is co-leading multi-state, multi-year, federally funded projects to develop and evaluate next-generation sensors and novel AI algorithms designed to enhance water and nitrogen use in irrigated systems.

The D.W. Brooks Lecture Series and Faculty Awards for Excellence are named for a Georgian whose contributions to agriculture are respected worldwide. An alumnus of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, D.W. Brooks (BSA—Agronomy, 1922, MSA—Agronomy, 1924) devoted his career to improving lives through innovations in agriculture.

The 2025 D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards will be held on November 13, 2025 at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel.

• Khosla’s Lecture: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
• Reception: 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
• The D.W. Brooks and CAES Research Awards: 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.

Next-generation Sensors for Integrative Precision Agriculture by Dr. Liang Dong

Description

This presentation covers a range of wearable, in-plant, embedded miniature sensors capable of detecting nitrogen, water, carbon, and plant pests and diseases. These low-cost sensors provide real-time data that support smarter decision-making in agricultural management practices, enable more efficient resource use, and improve our understanding of Genotype × Environment × Management Interactions.

About Dr. Dong

Dr. Liang Dong is a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Precision Agriculture. His research focuses on the development of novel sensor technologies for real-time monitoring of soil conditions, plant health, and environmental factors, with the goal of addressing challenges in the water-energy-food-health nexus. His work enhances agricultural management practices and supports crop breeding efforts by facilitating the development of stress-resilient cultivars through data-driven insights. In addition to plant-focused applications, Dr. Dong is also interested in advancing sensor systems to promote animal health and welfare. His research has attracted global media attention and earned multiple best paper awards and finalist recognitions at leading conferences and in journals. He is a past recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.

Before joining UGA, Dr. Dong served from 2007-2025 as the Vikram Dalal Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University, where he also directed the Microelectronics Research Center and was a Faculty Scholar of the Plant Sciences Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in Electronic Science and Technology from Tsinghua University in 2004 and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2004-2007.

Dr. Dong currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Sensors and Actuators A: Physical and Associate Editor of IEEE Transaction on AgriFood Electronics. He holds 17 U.S. patents, four of which have been licensed to industry. He co-founded and served as CTO of EnGeniousAg, a startup that commercialized nitrogen sensor technology developed in his lab and was acquired by CropX in 2024.

Time & Location

12:00 – 12:30

Virtual via Zoom

Research Needs Related to Aquaculture Development in Georgia

Description

Because of the rapid growth in seafood consumption and the associated health and ecological benefits of Aquaculture, a UGA Presidential Seed grant team has been working an Aquaculture Development Plan for Georgia.  This plan identifies several opportunities for the state and suggests that indoor, recirculating, controlled environment systems represent one of the greatest opportunities for the State.  It also recommends working with the Institute for Integrated Precision Agriculture as a priority for meeting some of the research and technology transfer needs in Georgia.  In this webinar, Aquaculture Development team members and producers will share information on this effort as well as specific research and technology needs to advance controlled systems aquaculture.

About Dr. Risse

Mark Risse has served as the director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant since 2013. In his role he oversees the unit’s research, education and extension programs and manages budgets, personnel, and policy issues related to the unit. Prior to this, he spent 18 years with UGA Cooperative Extension as a water resources specialist in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. His expertise is in non-point source pollution management, stormwater management, and soil and water conservation.

Risse is a double dawg, having received his bachelor and master’s degrees at UGA in agricultural engineering and his Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering at Purdue University. At UGA, Risse has received recognition as a Fellow in the International Soil and Water Conservation Society. He is a Walter Bernard Hill Fellow, the university’s highest honor for public service and outreach and is a life member of the UGA Rugby Club. Risse lives on a small beef cattle farm outside of Athens with his wife, Chris, and enjoys fishing, gardening, visiting his daughters and watching Georgia football games.

Time & Location

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Virtual via Zoom