Lincoln, Neb. —Joseph Oboamah, a computer science undergraduate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center (PREEC) in Scottsbluff, has been selected as a Farm Foundation Cultivator. He’ll be attending the semi-annual Round Table meeting in Chicago.
The Farm Foundation Cultivator Round Table is an invitational group of agricultural and agribusiness leaders from North America's food and agriculture sector. The group meets twice a year to discuss evolving issues shaping the future of agriculture and the food system. This year’s Round Table theme is “Mapping a Successful Future for Food and Agriculture.”
Xin Qiao, Nebraska Extension, water and irrigation management specialist at PREEC nominated Oboamah.
“I have been working with Xin for at least four years now, doing research and contributing to agriculture,” said Oboamah. “He was impressed with some of the things I’ve been doing and nominated me.”
Oboamah will be giving a presentation on how computer science will bring innovations to agriculture.
“The thing I have done in past, some of them include building a camera unit (that) takes pictures and calculates crop canopy percentage,” he said. “How well crops are growing at (different) integrals as time goes on capture information.”
Oboamah is working on an alert system where farm sensors will be installed. To monitor the temperature and relative humidity, and other parameters. The sensors will allow farmers to measure data on specific thresholds and, if necessary, take preventative measures.
“Right now, we are combining IoT, which is the Internet of Things. Like having a census of all forms on farms to make decisions like when to irrigate or to detect diseases,” he said. “A lot of farmers prefer to do things the old way to go and check their farms, but many are getting interested in technology to do those same tasks.”
Oboamah will graduate in May and, after finishing up some research in Scottsbluff, will seek employment in the agriculture industry, where he can get some experience.
“I’ve been doing a lot of research, but want industry experience, and then I’ll be heading back for my masters.”
For more information on the Farm Foundation, visit Farmfoundation.org.