News

What an inspiring and insightful day spent with brilliant students and researchers, celebrating this special occasion with a meaningful field visit! We had the privilege of exploring the Royal Irrigation Department and Pa Sak Jolasit Dam in Lopburi Province, along with the Salangpan - Khampran Crop Farm, CP Group in Saraburi Province, Thailand.

It was an enriching experience delving into pivot irrigation systems for farm management and irrigation management strategies, guided by experts at the Royal Irrigation Department and Salangpan - Khampran Crop Farm. The discussions and hands-on learning truly highlighted the vital role of sustainable water management in modern agriculture.

A heartfelt thank you to Khun Phantipa and the wonderful students for flawlessly organizing the logistics and making this trip possible. A special appreciation to Dr. Muhammad Yaseen for accompanying us on this incredible learning journey.

Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu has been honored with the prestigious Young Researcher Award 2024 by the Asian Association for Agricultural Engineering, in collaboration with the Thai Society of Agricultural Engineering. This esteemed award recognizes Dr. Himanshu's outstanding contributions and innovative research in the field of agricultural engineering.

The award ceremony took place during the International Agricultural Engineering Conference, held from May 22-24, 2024. This significant conference was organized as a parallel event to AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2024, hosted at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).

Dr. Himanshu's groundbreaking work spans several critical areas of agricultural research, including Precision Farming, Climate Resilient Agriculture Systems, Regenerative Agricultural Practices, On-farm Irrigation Water Management, Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Agriculture, Applications of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Wireless Sensors in Agriculture, Big Data Analysis and Applications, Machine Learning Applications in Agriculture, and Hydrologic/Cropping System Modelling. His research has had a profound impact on advancing agricultural practices and providing practical solutions to contemporary challenges.

His dedication and hard work have not only earned him this award but have also set a benchmark for aspiring researchers in the field. The International Agricultural Engineering Conference serves as a global platform for experts, researchers, and industry professionals to share insights, discuss innovations, and collaborate on future advancements in agricultural engineering. Dr. Himanshu's recognition at such a prominent event underscores the significance of his contributions to the field.

Congratulations to Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu for this well-deserved honor, and best wishes for continued success in his research endeavors.

The Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources (FAB) in the School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD) is pleased to announce the opening of the new Digital Agriculture Lab. This lab has been developed in the Agricultural Systems and Engineering Academic Program under the supervision of Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu. The lab provides all necessary equipment and basic facilities to students and local farmers for their digital agriculture research activities, especially in remote sensing, big data, machine learning, and crop simulation modeling. The lab has high-end workstations, smart agricultural sensors, and meetings and video conferencing facilities. This lab will also help in conducting practical sessions for the ongoing courses, such as Precision Agriculture, Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in Agriculture, and Smart Irrigation Systems, among others. This lab will provide facilities for training and extension activities in precision farming, agricultural mechanization, applications of agricultural drones and remote sensing technologies, climate-smart agriculture, and big data analysis.

The Digital Agriculture Lab will facilitate interdisciplinary research by combining advanced remote sensing with machine learning techniques and crop simulation modeling for agricultural applications. Prof. Avishek Datta (Head, Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources) informed that the purchasing of IoT agricultural sensors and agricultural drones is in the process, and they will be included in this lab in the coming days. Several studies related to agricultural applications, such as crop growth monitoring, crop damage/disease detection, soil mapping, crop yield modeling/forecasting, floods/droughts monitoring, and climate change impacts and adaptations, will be accomplished through this lab. The ongoing research activities in this digital lab could provide farmers with new tools and techniques to better manage resources, increase crop quality and quantity, and continue to be productive in a changing environment.

Details about the ongoing research/extension activities and facilities available in the digital agriculture lab can be found with the faculty in charge of the lab, Dr. Sushil Kumar Himanshu ( 66-2524-5480;  sushil-kumar@ait.ac.th).

Details about the Agricultural Systems and Engineering (ASE) Program at AIT: https://ait.ac.th/program/agricultural-systems-and-engineering/.