AGRICULTURE & PLANTATION
Speakers
Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Malaysia
Asia Sales and Distribution Manager
Trimble
Singapore
Unit Head - Geomapping & Governance
Philippine Rural Development Project
Department of Agriculture, Philippines
Deputy Director, Farm Mechanization Program, Malaysian Agricultural Research & Development Institute, Malaysia
Geospatial Agriculture Specialist
Mitr Phol Group
Thailand
Chair, Department of Geodetic Engineering
University of the Philippines
Philippines
OVERVIEW
Agriculture and plantation are key contributors to many economies in Asia-Pacific, and employ a significant percentage of the population. It is therefore extremely pertinent to implement effective mechanisms and technologies for the sector to thrive and contribute to the economy and livelihoods.
Today's agriculture and plantation sector have transformed into high-tech enterprises that most 20th-century farmers barely recognize. Over the past decade, the ICT, GIS, GPS, Drones, Satellite Imageries, electronic sensors and other new tools have placed farming into a technological wonderland.
The ultimate purpose of all this high-tech gadgetry is optimization, from both an economic and an environmental standpoint. The development of flying robots give rise to the possibility that field-crop scouting, currently done by humans, could be replaced by UAVs with machine vision and hand-like grippers. Accurate and near real-time information can also enable crop insurance companies to develop better products that are more useful to farmers.
The seminar on Precision Farming: Way towards Smarter Agriculture & Plantation, will discuss opportunities and challenges in integrating biotechnology, geospatial technology, ICT, automation/ mechanization and precision analytics into smart farming practice.
SEMINAR STRUCTURE
Session I: Improving Farming Practices with Automation
The Farmer’s Almanac has been replaced with geospatial analysis and predictive modelling. This is a farming concept that utilizes the whole gamut of geospatial technologies and information to determine field variability for ensuring optimal use of inputs and maximizing outputs from a farm. Modern technologies like UAVs (embedded with innovative sensors), GIS, GNSS, RS and associated technologies enable farmers to visualize their land, crops and management practices in unprecedented ways while empowering community planners, economists and agronomists to research and devise practices towards sustainable production. Some of the application includes farm site evaluation, precision seeding, crop monitoring, precision harvesting, and pest management. The session will discuss the latest tools that are increasing productivity and return on investment to farmers, including successful case studies in the region.