By David Mitchell
The University of Georgia Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture (IIPA) has awarded six new seed grants to help launch research projects at the intersection of agriculture, engineering, and artificial intelligence, among other areas.
The grants, totaling $390,480, represent a commitment by UGA and the institute to fostering the creation of new multidisciplinary teams. The six accepted proposals include 16 researchers from three colleges and eight schools or departments. They address problems ranging from plant surgical robotics implementation in maize, sensors to detect contamination in poultry, a smart ultrasonic cavitation system for waterborne plant disease management, and more.
“Agriculture is the top industry in Georgia and a major driver for technology, business, and workforce innovation,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “These grants enable UGA researchers to continue applying emerging technologies across a range of domains in agriculture. The work that begins with these grants today will go on to help feed tomorrow’s population, both in the state and beyond.”
Launched in 2022, IIPA advances research that supports a reliable food supply for a growing global population. Precision agriculture maximizes crop yields through data-driven decision-making tools like sensors, drones, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and robotics. At the core of this mission is the convergence of expertise from a wide range of domains, which was a key focus in this year’s grants.
Source : uga.edu