Science Talk with Naz Nazerke

Jaya Nepal is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Sustainable Cropping Systems Laboratory at Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He recently graduated with PhD in Soil and Water Sciences from the University of Florida, also obtained his MSc in International Agricultural Development from the University of Tokyo. He has a broad research experience in the field of soil science and agronomy.

 

01:31  Jay’s research background

03:43  PhD work at Florida university: sandy soils in Florida

06:15  What/How is it made/Why C nanomaterials 

12:05  Difference between Biochar & C nanomaterials 

14:00  Opportunities and challenges with C nanomaterials

18:26   Brief talk about NASA & Space

19:20  Limitations & challenges of using biochar in agricultural soils

23:18  Majors findings from Jay’s PhD research: C nanomaterials & biochar as soil amendmends in sandy soils

28:00  Use of C nanoparticles & Biochar at the current state of the world 

32:20  About Jay’s current research at Cornell

35:25  About dream research project

39:00  Living in different countries

41:41  Farmers & academic bubble 

43:45  Skills to become a successful researcher

47:20  Hobbies…

48:38  Social media & Academia: information gap

52:27  Advice for my younger self & for starting PhDs

 

 

Connect with Jay on socials:

Twitter/X: @mejayxoxo18 / https://twitter.com/mejayxoxo18

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mejayxoxo18/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejayxoxo18/ 

 

Link to Jay's research findings relevant to the talk:

Carbon nanomaterials are a superior soil amendment for sandy soils than biochar based on impacts on lettuce growth, physiology and soil biochemical quality: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452074823000319

Water-dispersible carbon nanomaterials improve lettuce (Latuca sativa) growth and enhance soil biochemical quality at low to medium application rates: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11104-022-05852-0

 

Link to Jay's review on biochar application in agriculture: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1114752/full

 

For the list of all publications, visit Google Scholar/Research gate: 

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pPEAk-wAAAAJ&hl=en

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jaya-Nepal 

 

Link to Johannes Lehmann’s lab at Cornell who do pioneering work with biochar (Jay mentioned this during podcast):

https://lehmannlab.cals.cornell.edu/ 

 

Nano clays to convert desert into farming land (something Jay mentioned about in the podcast), BBC article:

https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/follow-the-food/the-spray-that-turns-deserts-into-farmland.html 

 

YouTube Videos:

8f9c1cc105f6d12670c6a76fca86770a8f9c1cc105f6d12670c6a76fca86770a8f9c1cc105f6d12670c6a76fca86770a 

Professor Reimund P. Rötter (University of Göttingen) is a distinguished researcher with over 25 years of expertise in agronomy, agricultural systems modeling, and agroecology across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Professor Rötter's work focuses on developing and identifying solutions to the complex challenges presented to humanity such as global food security, increasing resource scarcity and the environmental effects of agricultural production under current changing climate.

He has done substantial work on his research area and namely some of his mainly impactful contributions include research on genetic yield gaps, modeling the multi-functionality of landscapes, assessing agricultural impacts and adaptations to climate change, and, last but not least, reduction of global wheat production under rising temperatures. This also makes him a perfect fit into today's episode on discussing "Crop modelling and its impact on addressing Climate Change"

00:00 - Introduction

01:29 - What is a model / Common misconception about modeling

03:19 - No modeling without experimentation, no experimentation without modeling

09:10 - Data quality and modeling (rubbish in = rubbish out)

13:15 - How to generate a reliable model

15:35 - Thoughts on why models failed to predict Covid19 cases

19:46 - GHG emission scenarios and human behavior

22:22 - "Why" and "How" (crop) modeling is essential in addressing Climate Change / Future crop production trends / Limitations of Global Climate models

30:50 - Adaptation options / Plant breeding / Response diversity

46:05 - How AI is transforming (crop) modeling and agriculture

47:49 - "ChatGPT can become our individual agent…even for modeling..." / Digitalization, AI, and the future of agriculture

55:11 - Why reform is needed in teaching programs in agricultural sciences / The power of collaboration

56:56 - Advice for young researchers

Postdoctoral researcher - Enrique Apolo Apolo. Enrique's fields of interest include AI, precision agriculture, proximal plant sensing, satellite imagery, machinery, robotics and electronics. 



Enrique's Ph.D. title is “Development and Assessment of AI models based on deep learning algorithms to determine agronomic traits in fruit tree orchards and field crops.”

Link to discussed Ph.D. thesis in this episode: https://idus.us.es/handle/11441/141305

 

00:00 Intro

01:02 Academic background (Enrique’s)

02:52 Citrus growing farmers in Spain & Yield prediction with AI

05:14 Measuring key crop parameter with A.I. & Robots

09:14 Learning A.I. from scratch / Drone imaging at Wageningen

13:55 Crop yield or disease prediction by AI & Drones / challenges with Farmers

17:04 Use of mobile phone for RGB imaging / Yield prediction apps

20:34 Drone imaging vs. Satellite images

26:10 Can farmers afford Drone imaging / Market for up-to-date Agro services

29:45 Why Robotics & AI are very advanced in greenhouses, not fields

33:55 Is there less or more use of AI by farmers / Farmers scared of AI?

36:26 Can AI replace humans? How soon?

38:55 “ChatGPT is a good tool, … but it might be a problem for lazy people…”

41:05 “It’s compulsory to have basic knowledge in programming for incoming PhDs…”

 

 

PhDs TikTok video Enrique mentions about Brazil:

Çağrı Akyol - a Postdoctoral researcher and project manager at Ghent University, dealing with; Energy and resource recovery from waste streams, Biogas biorefineries, Nutrient recovery and recycling. Also, he shares a lot about renewables and alternative fertilizers on his LinkedIn 🙂

 

0:00   Intro

01:10   Biogas & biomethane in EU Gas Package / about EU's 35 bcm binding target

04:47   Can Biogas & biomethane replace fossil fuels?

05:55   Russian natural gas cutoff & EU's interest in renewable energy sources 

07:44   About the Nutri2Cycle project 

11:49   Linear vs. Circular economy

15:12   About bio-based fertilizers and an ongoing debate on the "bio-based fertilizer" term

18:18   Bio-based fertilizers from anaerobic digestion 

22:13   "... in Flanders, you can't directly apply digestate to the soil..."

23:13   About microplastics in human blood, breast milk, soil, and tap water

28:40   Current challenges in water & wastewater treatments (chemicals, sludge, etc.)

32:50   About Gent University's research contribution to alternative fertilizers 

34:01   Synthetic N fertilizers vs. bio-based N fertilizers impact on the environment

36:10   "Farmers are really keen to use bio-based fertilizers because..."

38:38   Can bio-based fertilizers alone close the current P fertilizer demand? 

40:11   Agricultural practices with less nutrient loss

40:57   Future of bio-based fertilizers & renewable energy

45:28   Advice for young researchers (PhDs)

49:03   Good researcher skills

51:12   Shall one create or look for meaning?

 

Çağrı's research works: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cagri-Akyol-2

Çağrı on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/çağrı-akyol-08024763/

Nutri2cycle project that Çağrı mentions: https://www.nutri2cycle.eu/

BioDEN post on Gent University research: 

https://www.biogas-e.be/sites/default/files/2023-01/BioDEN_Newsletter - EN.pdf

Article on P cycle: 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095937800800099X?casa_token=bhwP0IV-zF0AAAAA:ZVA8ZJxP2JAPPxDOLAyCv24zAUdQwxHslOKLsToDLTcAEYTLZXYresChMntM_k_5g2gDtTFx

 

 

Special Thanks: 

I want to thank Dr. Maxim Dorodnikov (Georg-August-Universität Göttingen), who introduced me to P cycle and to "peak phosphorus curve". Thanks to him, I was able to address in this episodes one of the critical issues - P limit. And special thanks to Prof. Sophie and Dr. Eugenio (BOKU) who buit in me interest and core basic understandings of GHG emissions & soil microbiology. Also, thanks to IMSOGLO project organizers & all lecturers (Prof. Finke & Prof. Wim, Prof. Sauer & Dr. Stephen, etc., and my friend ALEX who taught me almost everything). This list is just a brief one, I will try to put more names in next episodes. 

 

 

Host: Nazerke Amangeldy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangeldy-9ba760206/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

Science Talk with Naz:

Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

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Angela Guerrero is a robotics engineer at the Soil Steam International AS. Angela did her Ph.D. research on "Variable-rate nitrogen fertilization by using proximal and remote sensing" at Gent University (link below to Angela's Ph.D. thesis work).

 

00:00  Intro

00:40  What Soil Steam International AS do

03:29  Working as a "Robotics Engineer"

05:31  How robotics are improving agriculture

10:44  Robotics and the future of farming

15:25  About Angela's Ph.D. research

18:50  From mechatronics engineering to precision farming

21:45  Precision agriculture 

25:30  Challenges in precision agriculture

28:16  Advice for all Ph.D. students

31:19  "There has been a lot of moving..., but it has been the best experience..."

37:20  About cultural stereotypes

39:24  Will AI make people jobless

40:24  "We have to think about climate change GLOBALLY"

43:08  Advice to my younger self

43:50  Meaning of life

 

 

Angela's Ph.D. work: https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8...

Angela on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-pa...

Other articles published by Angela: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/...

 

Host: Nazerke Amangeldy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-a...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

Science Talk with Naz:

Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/

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Special note for listeners: I use AI to edit the sound/video of my episodes. Sometimes AI also can't get rid of all the noise, so please don't mind it. I don't earn anything from my podcast, and it's pure pleasure to me to speak with amazing people. As a kid, I was raised to share what I have with others, and I still keep doing it, but now in a larger context - I want to share information/what I know/what I learned with others. It costs me my own money, extra effort, and time. So, if you like the podcast - please share it, like, and follow. That will make me motivated and put extra work into improving my content!

Host:

Nazerke Amangeldy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazerke-amangedy-9ba760206/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annazeka_

Science Talk with Naz:

Website: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/science-talk-with-naz/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencetalkwithnaz/