Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Graduate students Faculty and staff at University of Georgia, Auburn University, PanepistimioThessalias (Greece), Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy), Technische Universität München (Germany) Farmers, agronomists, crop consultants, and precision agriculture practioners in Georgia (USA), Alabama (USA), Greece, Italy, and Germany. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Six graduate students (three from the US and three from the EU) conducted their M.S. thesis research at host universities in different countries/continents allowing them to develop global competence. US and EU faculty, staff, and graduate students who participated in the EU and US workshops developed professional networks in several countries and were exposed to ideas, knowledge, and professional practices of farmers and other agricultural practioners from two continents. University of Georgia and Universita degli Studi di Padova faculty and administrators have developed excellent professional relationships that have already led to faculty exchanges (two UGA faculty taught in Italy during Spring 2016) and the development of a Dual M.S. Degree in Sustainable Agriculture. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Social media including the USDA blog, newspaper articles, and seminars. Examples are: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/11/04/uga-italy-develop-dual-graduate-degree-program/ http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-to-create-dual-master-s-degree-with-italian-university/article_b77c96e4-8d86-11e5-b8e9-9339b6318565.html The graduate students' research is being published in scientific journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Threegraduate students from US universities had the opportunity to conduct their thesis research at one of our partner universities in Europe. Two M.S. students from the University of Georgia conducted their thesis research at the Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy) andPanepistimio Thessalias (Greece), respectively. One student from Auburn University conducted his thesis research at Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany).The European partnersdid not receiving any direct funding from the ISE grant. However, the US partners reciprocated by hosting a graduate students from each of the EU universitiesfor their thesis research and paying them from other grants associated with the work they did at the US universities. As a result of this successful experience, the University of Georgia Crop and Soil Sciences Department and the Universita degli Studi di Padova Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment are developing a dual M.S. degree in Sustainable Agriculture. The degree will be offered begining Fall Semester 2016.The Dual Degree was a deliverable of this project and the ISE grant provided us with the opportunity to pilot the exchange of graduate students. A second objective of this projectwas to develop a series of workshops whose goal was to convey the precision ag lessons learned in Europe to American producers and the lessons learned in the USA to European producers. The workshops were conducted jointly by EU and US faculty and TAPAC students where possible. The three EU workshops were conducted during March, 2013 and held in Karditsa, Greece, Padova, Italy, and Potsdam, Germany. Each workshop is planned to meet local interests and needs. For example, in Greece, the workshop focused on cotton and wheat and designed for producers. In Germany, the workshop focused on variable rate application of nutrients and was designed for crop consultants, government specialists, and researchers. The EU workshops were very successful with high attendance - especially in Greece where over 150 producers and agronomists attended. The US workshops were conducted with great success during March 2014 in Tifton, Georgia (141 attendees); Headland, Alabama (74 attendees); and Shorter Alabama (66 attendees).
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Bevington, J., D. Piragnolo, P. Teatini, G. Vellidis, F. Morari. 2015. On the spatial variability of soil hydraulic properties in a Holocene coastal farmland. Geoderma 262:294305 doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2015.08.025.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Camden Lowrance. 2014. Open Source Hardware and Software in Agriculture: An Autonomous Sap Flow Measurement Wireless Network & A User Friendly Management Zone Delineation Tool. University of Georgia, Athens.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
James Bevington. 2013. Spatial Reconstruction of Hydraulic Properties of the Soil Profiles and Application of Upscaling Methods in the Venice Lagoon (Italy), University of Georgia, Athens.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Camilla Borgato. 2014. Correlation of Salmonella with physical, chemical, and biological water parameters in irrigation ponds of the Southeastern USA.Universit� degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Federico Gallo. 2016. Does Salmonella spp. move through the irrigation systems of mixed produce farms of the Southeastern USA? Universit� degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Lowrance, C., and G. Vellidis. EZZone - A user-friendly management zone delineation tool. Precision Agriculture (submitted - under review).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Bevington, J., F. Morari, E. Scudiero, P. Teatini, and G. Vellidis. Spatial Prediction of Hydraulic Zones from Soil Properties and Secondary Data Using Factorial Kriging Analysis. Geoderma (submitted - under review).
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Progress 09/01/11 to 08/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The two University of Georgia graduate students and one Auburn University graduate student who will be particpating in the exchange program were selected. One of the University Georgia students began his graduate program in January 2012 and will be conducting his M.S. thesis research at the University of Padova, Italy, during 2013. The second University of Georgia student will begin his program in January 2013 and will conduct hs M.S. thesis research at the University of Thessaly, Greece during 2014. The Auburn student began his progarm in August 2012 and will be conducting his research at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, during 2013. Students from the University of Thessaly (2), University of Padova (1), and Technical University of Munich (1) conducted their exchange programs at the University of Georgia during 2012. A series of three workshops titled "Precision Agriculture: A Management Plan for Improving Efficiency and Profitability" were scheduled for Karditsa, Greece on 15 March 2013, Padova, Italy, on 18 March 2013, and Potsdam, Germany, on 21 March 2013. The workshops will focus on farmers, extension specialists, and regional policy makers and will be conducted by project faculty and students. PARTICIPANTS: Faculty Members who either identified and recruited exchange students at their home univeristy or mentored exchange students at their host university: Dr. George Vellidis, University of Georgia; Dr. John Fulton and Dr. Brenda Ortiz, Auburn University; Prof. Theofanis Gemtos, University of Thessaly, Greece; Prof. Francesco Morari, Univeristy of Padova, Italy; Dr. Markus Gandorfer, Technical Univeristy of Munich, Germany. Exchange Students: Jay Bevington, University of Georgia to Univeristy of Padova (December 2012 - August 2013); Camilla Borgato, Univeristy of Padova to University of Georgia (October 2012 - April 2013); Vasilis Liakos, University of Thessaly to University of Georgia (April - December 2012); Martina Weiss, Technical Univeristy of Munich to University of Georgia (August - November, 2012); Aliki Zacho, University of Thessaly to University of Georgia (April - August, 2012) TARGET AUDIENCES: For the exchange progarm, graduate students at the participating American and European Universities. For the workshops, farmers, extension specialists, and regional policy makers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None
Impacts
Up through the current evaluaton period, only European students have spent time at their host institutions. The students have been generally very satisfied with their exchange programs (see excerpt from Evaluation Report below.) The first M.S. thesis resulting from an exchange was published by Mr. Emanuelle Borghetti who received his M.S. from the University of Padova and conducted his research at the Univeristy of Georgia. The project and its outcomes is being evaluated by an external evaluator (Cassandra Drennon & Associates). This firm specializes in research and program evaluation and measuring the development of intercultural competence. Below is a summary of the evaluation for 2011-2012. To evaluate the project, Cassandra Drennon & Associates, Inc. interviewed faculty partners at the five participating universities and surveyed three European exchange students who completed their research during 2010-2012. Survey development was based on the goals of the project and input from faculty partners. Key findings 1. Students were highly satisfied with their learning and research experiences in the host country. 2. Students became more culturally aware as a result of the exchange. 3. The project benefits from a strong partnership among faculty members. 4. Student recruitment is successful in the EU but has been challenging for U.S. universities.
Publications
- Borghetti, E. 2012. Evaluating nitrogen variable rate technology on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Georgia (USA). M.S. Thesis, Universita degli Studi di Padova, Legnaro, Padova, Italy, 65p.
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Progress 09/01/10 to 08/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The TransAtlantic Precision Agriculture Consortium (TAPAC) consists of agricultural scientists and engineers from three American and three European universities who have been working together for the past 5 years. TAPAC members participating in this proposal are the University of Georgia (lead), Auburn University, Panepistimio Thessalias (Greece), Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy), and Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany). During Year 1 we developed agreements on how visiting graduate students will conduct their work at each of the institutions, the University of Georgia hosted two European students, and we recruited 3 American students to participate in the program. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. George Vellidis (Project and TAPAC Director - project management, recruiting American students, hosting European students), Biological & Agricultural Engineering, University of Georgia; Dr. John Fulton (project planning, recruiting American students), Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University; Professor Theofanis Gemtos (project planning, recruiting Greek students), Laboratory of Farm Mechanisation, PanepistimioThessalias (Greece); Professor Francesco Morari (project planning, recruited Italian student), Departimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Produzioni Vegetali, Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy); Dr. Markus Gandorfer (project planning, recruited German student), Institute of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany); Ms. Maria Seidl (M.S. student hosted by University of Georgia), Institute of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany); Mr. Emanuele Borghetti (M.S. student hosted by University of Georgia), Departimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Produzioni Vegetali, Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy); Ms. Tracey Vellidis (TAPAC Web page design and implementation), National Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory, University of Georgia TARGET AUDIENCES: Graduate students at American and European universities. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
TAPAC's long-term goal is to establish a common M.S. degree between partner universities. Students who enroll in this future program will be awarded dual M.S. degrees from an American and an European partner university and will spend about half of their graduate program at an overseas partner university - a compelling measure of global competence. TAPAC's short-term goal is to use this ISE project as a pilot study to validate concepts already developed for the common degree and to overcome institutional and funding constraints which stand in the way. To meet this goal, we will implement a framework within which American and European students conduct their M.S. thesis research on precision agriculture at an overseas partner university while receiving a degree from their home institution. During Year 1 we developed the framework for the graduate student exchanges. One European student from the Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany) completed a 6-month exchange during Year 1 of the project while a student from the Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy) began his exchange during Year 1. Two Univeristy of Georgia students, one from Environmental Engineering and one from Crop & Soil Sciences were recruited to participate in the project. An Auburn University student in Biosystems Engineering was also recruited. They will be going to the Universita degli Studi di Padova (Italy) and the Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany) as soon as they complete their M.S. coursework.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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