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Research/Academic Highlights

Expertise

Agro/Rural-Informatics in decision making; and Precision Agriculture using multi-mode disruptive technologies/platforms {Remote sensing; GIS; Geographical Information, Communication and Dissemination Technologies (Geo-ICDTs); Sensor Networks; Internet of Agriculture Things (IoAgTs); Crowd-sourcing; UAVs; Plant Phenomics}

Research / Academic Highlights

  • Teaching/Research Faculty Member of IITB (since 1986) (Natural Resources Management; Biosphere and Lithosphere; Rural-Informatics; Image Interpretation Laboratory; Soils, Agriculture, Land Use and GIS; Geo-Informatics for Terrain Evaluation and Land Use Planning)
  • Attended and presented research results in international symposia / meetings and published in international refereed journals (more than 100)
  • Reviewer for various subject-related journals, PhD theses, R&D projects, etc.
  • Geo-ICT Tools developed/under development: GramyaVikas – a Distributed Collaboration model for Rural Development Planning; GeoSense – a real to near-real time DSS with Geo-ICT, wireless sensing network, data mining and cloud-computing systems for precision irrigation/protection/crop yield modeling; GrIDSesne: Integrated and interoperable service platform /system for remote monitoring and decision support (newspaper reviews - 1 & 2); SenseTube – IoT based platform for Smart Agriculture, eCitrus - crowd-sourcing platform for advisory services in citrus-related disease/water requirement.
  • President, Asia-Pacific Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture (APFITA) (formerly known as AFITA) (http://www.apfita.org/APFITA_Home.aspx); President, Indian Society of Agricultural Information Technology (INSAIT)(http://insait.in/); Co-Chair, Ag-Working Group, Asia-Pacific Advanced Network (http://apan.net/wg/agriculture); Editorial Board Member of Geoderma Regional (2014-2018) (Elsevier) and International Journal of Information Technology  in Agriculture (JITAg) (http://www.jitag.org/about/board.htm); and CIGR Board Member for its Technical Section-VII (Information Technology) (http://www.cigr.org/Governance/technical-sections-7.php)

Academic Thesis Output

  • Masters: 18 (+02 in progress) (Geo-ICT in Watershed management; WSN and Geo-ICT in Precision Agriculture; Crowd-source tool for rural development; watershed-based climate change strategies, Laser remote sensing for climate change monitoring, IoT in precision irrigation, geo-spatial data mining in agriculture, spatial evapotranspiration, plant phenomics, crop yield / growth modelling, etc.)
  • PhD: 10 completed; 03 in progress (Geographical-ICTs in Agriculture (Satellite RS, GIS, Ground environmental sensors, UAVs, Image Spectroscopy, AIML, IoTs), Precision Agriculture (precision irrigation, precision protection and crop yield modelling), Optimal crop management, Watershed management; GeoFARMatics, Plant Phenomics, etc.)

Research Grants as Principal Investigator/Team Leader in consortium based R&D Projects

  • GramyaVikas : A distributed collaboration model/system for rural development planning (Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India) (Indian Rupees 2801100) (2005-08)
  • GeoSense: A Geo-ICT and WSN based DSS for Agriculture/Environment assessment (Indo-Japan Bilateral Project) (Indian Rupees 62,00,00) (2008-12)
  • Utilisation Of Leading Edge ICT To Enhance Australian and Indian Ground Water And Land Resources Under Climate Change Scenarios, Indo-Australia Bilateral Project (2012-13)
  • GrIDSense: ICDTs in Water and Pest/Disease Management for Yield Improvement in Horticulture (Citrus), Information Technology Research Academy, Government of India (https://itra.medialabasia.in/?page_id=4144)(Indian Rupees 36500000) (2016-2019)
  • DSFS: Geo-ICDTs and Data Science-based Farming Support System for Sustainable Crop Production under Climatic Changes, Indo-Japan Project (https://www.jst.go.jp/pr/info/info1201/index_e.html) (Indian Rupees 48800000) (Indian Theme Leader: Optimal Crop Management and High Performance Plant Breeding) (2017-todate)
  • BDFarm: Big Data Management and Analytics for Agriculture and Farming (STIC-Asia MAEDI/France-sponsored consortium project)(2016-18) (Indian Team Leader) https://team.inria.fr/zenith/projects/international-projects/bdfarm-2016-2018-stic-asia/
  • CRADR: Climate-Resilient Agriculture for Disaster Risk Reduction (under the WP5: Promoting Asi@Connect-enabled Research and Education Collaboration for Societal Benefit) (TEIN*CC/European Union) (2020-2021)(Indian Team Leader) https://www.hii.or.th/en/inter_cooperation/climate-resilient-agriculture-for-disaster-risk-reduction-cradr/
  • SIPA: Scale-independent precision agriculture, in collaboration with Prof Raj Khosla [Head, Agronomy Department, Kansas State University/USA) under the VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research Award) Faculty Scheme of SERB/DST] (2021-2024)

Research Publications