Agri-Photonics Incubator: Advanced Spectroscopy in Precision Agriculture

Hosted By:

• Gombojav O. Ariunbold, Mississippi State University, United States
• Krishnan Parameswaran, Analog Devices, United States
• Aaron Pung, Sandia National Laboratory, United States
• Joachim Sacher, Sacher Laser, Germany
• Amartya Sengupta, IIT-Delhi, India

View the agenda for this Incubator here (PDF)

Read more about this Incubator on the OSA Blog here

Overview

Agriculture is a huge industry of critical worldwide importance. Photonic technologies are playing an increasingly important role in maximizing yields and conserving resources. This Incubator is intended to enable discussion of existing use cases of photonics in agriculture and identify new applications based on the latest technological developments.

This Incubator will focus on how modern optical sensing technologies, especially current spectroscopic techniques, are being applied in agriculture.  This includes standard techniques such as passive IR and visible spectroscopy and multispectral imaging, as well as active spectroscopic techniques, such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser-induced fluorescence.  It also includes less common optical technologies, such as THz spectroscopy, LIDAR, and hyperspectral imaging. Through invited talks, moderated discussions and informal networking time the Incubator will bring together individuals involved in technology development, regulatory work, and industry to discuss how optical environmental sensing technologies are being used to have a positive impact on agriculture. Questions to be explored include:

1. What are the scientific questions that still need to be answered concerning the use of optical sensing technologies in agriculture?
2. What are the practical challenges, both for scientists and agriculturists, in adopting optical sensing technologies?
3. What special role do advanced spectroscopy or imaging techniques play?
4. How does the scale of the agricultural enterprise limit or make possible the use of specific optical sensing technologies?   

Incubator Goals

1. Introduce developers of optical technologies to people involved in the agriculture business, with the goal of identifying specific measurement needs and possible solutions.
2. Identify potential research topics that government agencies should fund.
3. Develop list of specific topics suitable for a future topical meeting or conference session on photonics in agriculture.

Featured Topics

1. Measurement techniques applicable to agriculture
   1. Raman Spectroscopy
   2. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
   3. Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF)
   4. THz Spectroscopy and Imaging
   5. LIDAR
   6. Hyperspectral Imaging

2. Critical properties of important crops
3. Role of technology in sustainable agriculture
4. Challenging problems in farming