Precision agriculture expert to visit NZ
An internationally renowned expert on precision nutrient management will be among the line-up of keynote speakers at the International Precision Agriculture Tri-conference in Hamilton in October.
Dr Raj Khosla is Professor of Precision Agriculture at Colorado State University. As part of the university’s Department of Soil and Crop Science, Khosla has been leading the precision agriculture movement for over two decades and believes there has never been a more exciting time to be in agriculture.
He says it is heart-warming to hear and see that farmers, practitioners, scientists and policymakers are taking note of what smart agriculture can deliver now and in the future.
Khosla was amongst the first to adopt the now commonly used principles of management zones to improve nutrient use efficiency, preserve natural resources and maximise return on input investments.
Other areas of research he has been involved with include the economic feasibility of precision nutrient management, improved nitrogen management and precision conservation.
In 2015 Khosla was named Precision Agriculture Educator of the Year and this year he was one of 13 thought-leaders to be appointed to the executive committee of Science Breakthroughs 2030. This is a US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine initiative to identify the most compelling scientific opportunities in food and agriculture in the coming decades.
Professor Armin Werner, group manager of precision agriculture science at Lincoln Agritech, says while Khosla’s expertise is around precision nutrient management, his knowledge around precision agriculture is much broader.
His interest and support has extended to developing countries in Asia – such as India, China, Malaysia and others - to help them put precision agricultural systems in place. This is particularly valuable in areas where water and other resources are limited.
Khosla founded – and was the first president of – the International Society of Precision Agriculture.
Methven arable and dairy farmer and precision agriculture practitioner Craige Mackenzie says Khosla is highly respected internationally and is regarded as a leading ‘‘guru’’ on precision agriculture globally.
‘‘He is a very engaging speaker and will bring a lot to the conference, both from a practical farming point of view and from a scientific perspective.’’
Khosla is one of more than 20 international speakers attending the International Precision Agriculture Tri-Conference in Hamilton. It combines the inaugural Asian-Australian Conference on Precision Pastures and Livestock Farming, the 7th Asian-Australian Conference on Precision Agriculture, and the Digital Farmers and Grower 2017.
The conferences will run concurrently over October 16-18. Topics include precision pastures, precision livestock farming, robotics, site-specific farming and data management. There will also be sessions discussing the application of precision agriculture along the value-chain and its role in environmental and resource management.