Professor's service to precision agriculture rewarded with presidency and Senior Scientist honour

Posted 28 June 2018

Professor James Lowenberg-DeBoer’s long service to the precision agriculture community was recognised this week at the International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA) in Montreal, Canada.

Professor Lowenberg-DeBoer was elected president of the International Society of Precision Agriculture and presented with the Pierre Robert Precision Agriculture Senior Scientist Award for 2018.

Prof. Lowenberg-DeBoer holds the Elizabeth Creak Chair in Agri-Tech Applied Economics at Harper Adams University. His research and teaching focuses on the economics of precision agriculture, agricultural robotics and other farm innovations. He is also the co-editor of the journal Precision Agriculture.

The goal of the ISPA is to promote the science of precision agriculture. It is a multidisciplinary organization composed of agricultural engineers, agronomists, soil scientists, agricultural economists, rural sociologists and other agricultural scientists. “Precision Agriculture” focuses on improving the spatial and temporal management of crops, livestock, forestry and other biological production systems using electronic information and communications technology including Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), geographical information systems (GIS), auto guidance, crop and soil sensors, yield monitors, and variable rate technology.

The ISPA presidency is a six year commitment: two years as president-elect (learning the job); two years president; and two years as past president (advising the president). His term starts on July 1, 2018.