News
Precision Agriculture Group News
Asian Productivity Organization invited , Professor for Precision Agriculture as resource person to deliver lecture on Digital Agribusiness. The workshop was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from June 23 to June 30, 2018. More than twenty participants from Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong听 and Mongolia were attended the workshop. The workshop was organized to create awareness of digital agribusiness concept, global trends, and the opportunities IoT connectivity presents for the future, review the current status of digitization of agribusiness in developing countries; share successful models of digital, Internet and e-agribusiness.
听
Precision Agriculture Research Team led by Dr. Zaman participated in the 14th Annual International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA), presented by the International Society of Precision Agriculture. The meeting was held in Montreal, Quebec from June 24th -27th 2018. PA team members (Post-doctoral fellow, research associates, undergraduate and graduate students) made oral and poster presentations in different technical sessions of precision agriculture at the meeting. Members also participated in 鈥淐ommunity Meetings鈥�, to advance and address the specific needs in precision agriculture of their geographic region. More than 500 renowned scientists and delegates from different countries all over the world participated and presented their research results in the ICPA annual meeting.
听
The Precision Agriculture Group led by Dr. Qamar Zaman at the H漫画 University Agricultural Campus offered a training workshop for wild blueberry growers to demonstrate the recently developed Wild Blueberry Management Tool.
The Precision Agriculture team at DAL-AC has been developing cost effective technologies for wild blueberry cropping systems to increase farm profitability and reduce environmental risks.
Dr. Travis Esau, post-doctoral fellow, developed a computer program that allows wild blueberry producers to make timely decisions for economically viable management practices. More than 20 growers and industry personnel participated in the cost of production workshop.听
The wild blueberry tool is available for growers鈥� use and can be freely downloaded from the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia website ().
Growers can contact Dr. Esau (tesau@dal.ca) for more details.
听
Precision Agriculture Research Team led by Dr. Zaman participated in Annual International Meeting of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The meeting was held in Disney Resort, Orlando, Florida from July 17-20, 2016. PA team members (Post-doctoral fellow, research associates, undergraduate and graduate students) made oral and poster presentations in different technical sessions of precision agriculture at the meeting. Students also participated in volunteer activities to organize different events during ASABE meeting. More than 2000 delegates from different countries participated in the conference. PA team also visited Precision Agriculture Labs and field experiments at Citrus Research and Education Research Centre (CREC) in Lake Alfred, University of Florida from July 21-23, 2016. PA team members shared the real-world issues related to precision agriculture in North America and their possible solutions with researchers and faculty at CREC. The PA researchers at CREC demonstrated innovative precision agriculture technologies for citrus production.
听
听
The Precision Agriculture Research Team from H漫画 University led by Dr. Zaman participated in the Annual General Meeting and Technical Conference of the Canadian Society for Bioengineering (CSBE) in Halifax, NS from July 03 to 06, 2016.
Participants of CSBE also visited innovative research programs at H漫画 Agricultural Campus, Truro. PA team members made oral presentations in different technical sessions to highlight the very valuable research being conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture in the area of Precision Agriculture. They also volunteered for the organization and helped with arrangements of different events at the international conference. More than 150 renowned scientists from different countries all over the world participated and presented their research results in the CSBE annual meeting.
Dr. Zaman received a Certificate of Commendation in recognition of his dedicated and exemplary service to CSBE as Atlantic Regional Director.
Mr. Travis Esau, a PhD student and Waqas Jameel an MSc student have been awarded with the Best CSBE/SCGAB Graduate Thesis Award and received certificates and $200 cash from CSBE.
Mr. Esau鈥檚 PhD Thesis entitled 鈥淪mart sprayer for spot-application of agrochemical in wild blueberry fields鈥�.
Mr. Waqas Master Thesis entitled 鈥淓ffect of crop characteristics and machine parameters on berry losses during wild blueberry harvesting鈥�.
听
Precision Agriculture Team in New Orleans, Louisiana participating in ASABE Annual International Meeting
Precision Agriculture Research Team led by Dr. Zaman participated in Annual International Meeting of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, The meeting was held in New Orleans, Louisiana from July 26-30, 2015. PA team members (Post-doctoral fellow, research associates, undergraduate and graduate students) made oral and poster presentations in different technical sessions of precision agriculture at the meeting. Students also participated in volunteer activities to organize different events during ASABE meeting. More than 1500 delegates from different countries participated in the conference.
Aitazaz Farooque (PhD Student In Precision Agriculture Research Program) received best doctoral thesis award (certificate and cash) from Canadian Society for Bio-Engineering 8 July, 2015
Canadian federal minister of science and technology, Mr. Ed Holder, and Mr. Scott Armstrong (MP) visited the Precision Agriculture Lab on 7 July, 2015
CSBE Pizza Party
The Canadian Society for Bio-Engineers and the Engineering Society of H漫画 Agricultural Campus are organizing a Networking Pizza Party.
Mr. John Higgins, P.Eng., Former President CSBE will introduce students to the society and potential career opportunities and other activities such as newsletter, student awards, technical meetings, society journals and more. 听 Bio-Engineers from industry and different government departments in Atlantic region will also join meeting.
Monday, November 3 4:30 p.m.
Banting Building Room 25
For more information contact:
Dr. Qamar Zaman
Atlantic Regional Director CSBE
qzaman@dal.ca
Victoria Oliver and Meaghan Kenalty
H漫画 Agricultural Campus
Engineering Society
vc715515@dal.ca
听
Honorable Minister of Agriculture Keith Colwell Visited Precision Agriculture Lab at Faculty of Agriculture, H漫画 University
The Honorable Keith Colwell visited Precision Agriculture (PA) lab at Faculty of Agriculture, H漫画 University. PA team led by Dr. Qamar Zaman warm welcomed him and briefed him about the mile stones achieved by the team. He was also briefed on the activities and research work in which PA team is involved currently. He acknowledged the achievements of the team in the area of precision agriculture and added that it will eventually contribute towards the benefit of the farmers and Nova Scotia economy.
听
Dr. Zaman receives Prestigious Glenn Downing Award
Dr. Qamar Zaman, H漫画 University Faculty of Agriculture was the recent recipient of the prestigious Glenn Downing Award in recognition of his outstanding work in industry, teaching, research and extension in the area of machinery systems. Zaman received the award at the International Joint American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and Canadian Society for BioEngineering Annual Meeting in Montreal, Quebec on July 13-17, 2014
Dr. Zaman has established state-of-the art facilities in the area of Precision Agriculture Research in Atlantic Canada at the Faculty of Agriculture, to increase farm profitability and reduce environmental risks. He has developed strong and effective partnerships with industry, government and other institutions to support PA research needs.
Dr. Zaman is a pioneer in the field of Precision Agriculture and has already invented cost-effective Variable Rate (VR) technology for spot application of agrochemicals. In fact, he has received a US Patent and Canadian Patent for the invention of his VR Sprayer System. He has saved significant amount of agrochemicals and decreased Nitrate-Nitrogen concentration in ground water with VR technology in blueberry fields. He is very confident these viable, affordable, reliable and farmer friendly technologies can be implemented in North America to reduce production cost and environmental impacts.
Dr. Zaman is recognized internationally for his accomplishments and has worked in four internationally renowned PA programs including the University of Florida, University of Agriculture, Pakistan, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and H漫画 University Canada. He has been serving as visiting professor in Pakistani universities and delivered lectures in several international seminars as invited/keynote speaker and resource person in several countries.
Dr. Zaman, during the past six years, has also supervised many undergraduate students as well as five post-doctoral fellows, six international researchers, nine M.Sc. and five Ph.D. students.听 He has conducted several workshops at local, national and international levels and published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals.
He is a highly sought speaker at national and international seminars and workshops and has made over 100 conference, industry and extension presentations over the past few years.
Congratulations Dr. Zaman!
听
Precision Agriculture Research Group Participated in joint international annual meeting ASABE and CSBE in Montreal, Quebec
Precision Agriculture Research Team (Postdocs, PhD, master and undergraduate engineering students) from H漫画 University led by Dr. Zaman participated in a joint international annual meeting of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and Canadian Society of Biological Engineers (CSBE) in Montreal, Quebec on July 13-17, 2014.听
They made presentations in different technical sessions to highlight the very valuable research being conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture in the area of Precision Agriculture. They also volunteered for the organization and arrangement of different events at the international conference.听听
More than 2000 renowned scientists (faculty and researchers) from different countries all over the world participated and presented their research results at the meeting. 听
听
International Researchers visiting H漫画 Agricultural Campus
Dr. Ian Yule from New Zealand and Dr. Arnold Schumann from Florida will be visiting Dal Agricultural Campus from July 06 to 11, 2014. They will work with Precision Agriculture Research Group led by Dr. Zaman to share ideas about precision agriculture technologies in New Zealand and USA.
Ian Yule is Professor of Precision Agriculture at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. He is Director of the New Centre for Precision Agriculture at Massey University. Much of his recent work has been dedicated to working in pastoral agriculture in New Zealand's dairy farming and hill country (sheep and beef) sector. He has a long term interest in sensor and measurement technology. He has been involved in a number of areas that have achieved commercial uptake. This includes development of the C-Dax Pasturemeter a tow behind device for measuring pasture mass. He was also involved in the development of soil mapping techniques which help to inform variable rate or precision irrigation technology. This is fast becoming the standard for centre pivot irrigators in New Zealand. Prof Yule's present focus is around remote sensing in hill country to inform nutrient application and improving aerial topdressing technology in order to be able to apply variable rate technology from a topdressing aircraft.
Arnold Schumann is Professor of Precision Agriculture at Citrus Research and Education Centre, University of Florida. Has vast experience in developing VRT to improve citrus production. He developed PA technologies for real-time sensing and fertilize site-specifically based on each tree size. They saved 40% fertilizer in citrus orchards and reduced ground water contamination. He developed very fast computerized 8-channel controller for variable rate applicators to apply agrochemicals for spot applications to increase farm profitability and reduce environmental risks.听听 He also introduced advanced automated fertigation system for citrus production and disease management. He is adjunct professor in Engineering department, Faculty of Agriculture, H漫画 University. He is actively involved in precision agriculture research program led by Dr. Zaman at Dal Agricultural Campus to develop precision agriculture technologies for wild blueberry cropping systems.
听