Data Driven Agriculture starts with growing plants, measuring their parts, and recording that information. But when you analyze the data and apply it to real-life scenarios, that’s when things get really exciting.
For example, what if you wanted to slow erosion in a particularly inhospitable terrain? Or outcompete invasive plants and fast-spreading weeds in your back yard? Or improve agriculture yields in the variety of soil types that exist on your farm?
“DDA can help us find and identify which plants could potentially do well in certain environments,” says Tai McClellan Maaz of the Dept. of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. “This means we can characterize plants, based on attributes, to predict whether they would do well in this or that location and what role they would play. This could enable farmers, gardeners, and conservationists to target specific traits to figure out where and what to grow.”
In Hawaiʻi, the data could help us understand the range of traits in tropical plants and how these traits fit into agroecosystems. Beyond Hawaiʻi, it can help us understand which tropical species could fill roles and provide benefits in other environments. Maaz and collaborators Nhu Nguyen, Angel Del Valle Echevarria, Michael B. Kantar, Yuriy Mileyko, Michael Muszynski are even looking at below-ground architecture, like root systems, to better understand how plants can anchor themselves and withstand harsh environmental conditions.
Many vulnerable agricultural ecosystems exist in Hawaiʻi, she adds, and leveraging data means better plants can be selected and promoted for food production or protecting the environment. Farmers can choose the measurements that matter, what traits are important, which can reduce costs, and help them come up with better prediction models than intuition alone.
The emphasis on modern methods and cutting-edge techniques is also a relevant skill for younger Ag scientists in a modern workforce, and Tai is excited to present another summer undergraduate research program for students with an interest in plant, data, or computer science.
Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates
Students are encouraged to apply by February 28th. Pacific Islanders, underrepresented minority students, and first-generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply because the program is designed to meet the needs of Hawai`i and the Pacific Islands. The 9-week, in-person program will be held June 5-August 4, with a $4,000! stipend plus expenses. For more info, visit the DDA REEU.
“The program is team based and the research is a collaborative process,” Tai says. “So the students will work together, grapple through problems together, find solutions together, and present together. We will take field trips and volunteer for the community, so they’ll better understand the community’s needs and how to use what they are learning to help real people. This makes it much more fun and meaningful.”
Read about last year’s summer program in Natural Sciences Education.