Idan Kopler | Precision Livestock Farming | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Idan Kopler | Precision Livestock Farming | Research Excellence Award

Project manager | MIGAL Galilee Research Institute Ltd  | Israel

Idan Kopler is an interdisciplinary environmental researcher specializing in ecosystem ecology, hydrology, climate–vegetation interactions, and data-driven agri-environmental systems. His research focus centers on understanding how temperature, drought, and soil moisture regulate ecosystem processes across forested and managed landscapes, with emerging interests in the socio-environmental dimensions of precision livestock farming and technology adoption. Kopler has held research-oriented academic roles, contributing to cross-sector collaborations that bridge ecological science with applied agricultural systems. His key contributions include advancing empirical evidence on growth-limiting climatic drivers at montane treelines, quantifying soil–vegetation–water interactions in Mediterranean forests, and evaluating farmer perceptions of benefits and risks associated with precision livestock farming technologies in the European context. Through integrative field measurements, modeling, and stakeholder-focused analyses, his work supports evidence-based decision-making. Kopler’s impact vision is to strengthen climate-resilient land and livestock systems by aligning ecological insight with practical innovation, informing sustainable management, policy dialogue, and responsible technological adoption across diverse environments.

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Featured Publications

Syamlal Sasi | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award 

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Mr. Syamlal Sasi | Sustainable Agriculture | Research Excellence Award 

PhD Student | Australian National University | Australia

Syamlal Sasi is a researcher and technology innovator specializing in aquaculture, agri-tech solutions, plasma technology, IoT-integrated farming systems, and sustainable agriculture, widely recognized for advancing modern farming practices through science-driven innovations. His research focus centers on applying cold atmospheric plasma for agricultural and aquaculture enhancement, hydroponic productivity improvement, and resource-efficient cultivation, alongside emerging interests in space-agriculture, nutrient-enriched water generation using extraterrestrial regolith, nano/micro-bubble systems, and plasma–plant metabolite synergy. Over the years, he has contributed significantly to the integration of advanced engineering with crop and aquaculture ecosystems, exploring next-generation farming tools aimed at scalability and climate resilience. Professionally, he has served in impactful leadership and R&D roles, including Director of Business and Product Research at BudMore PTY Ltd., Canberra, Australia, where he leads technology development for smart-farming platforms and commercial agri-solutions, and previously as CEO at Sygul Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Kochi, India, guiding product innovation and agricultural technology deployment. Earlier, he contributed in data and business technology domains at Cognizant, India, building a foundation for data-driven agri-intelligence systems that later shaped his research initiatives. His key contributions include the development of plasma-assisted aquaponics and hydroponics systems, research demonstrating enhanced plant growth on simulated Martian regolith through water chemistry optimization, and investigations into RONS-enhanced nutrient delivery using plasma-enabled irrigation, which have opened new perspectives in extraterrestrial farming possibilities. He has also explored antimicrobial enhancement through plasma-secondary metabolite interactions, presenting new pathways for reducing chemical usage in crop disease management. His work has produced influential publications across journals such as Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Molecules, and Trends in Biotechnology, collectively strengthening scientific understanding of plasma-for-agriculture interfaces. Several of his studies contribute directly to circular bio-production and food security models, positioning his work as a foundation for future agri-technology transitions. Through his role in research and startup technology development, Syamlal has contributed to smart-farming digitization, remote monitoring systems, and AI-based aquaculture productivity enhancement, supported by grants including the Productization Grant 2022–23 (Kerala Startup Mission) and the Smart Farming to Improve Aquaculture Productivity RKVY-RAFTAAR Grant. His continued mission is to bridge agricultural science with scalable technology, fostering sustainable aquaculture systems, low-resource food production, and climate-adaptive cultivation solutions. With a strong commitment to innovation-driven agriculture, he envisions transforming farming into a tech-empowered, environmentally harmonious sector, enabling farmers to enhance yield with reduced input cost, expanding productivity through precision management tools, and exploring space-based cultivation for future food security. His work ultimately strives to the impact global agriculture by integrating plasma science, IoT frameworks, and smart agro-industries, shaping a future where technology amplifies natural growth potential while securing food sustainability for earth and beyond.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications 

1. Sasi, S., Prakash, P., Poiré, R., Hu, T., Weerasinghe, J., Levchenko, I., Prasad, K., & Alexander, K. (2025). Can cold atmospheric plasma make water enriched with minerals from Martian or Lunar regolith more suitable for hydroponic plant growth? Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 100904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceja.2025.100904

2. Sasi, S., Prakash, P., Hayden, S., Dooley, D., Poiré, R., Hu, T., Weerasinghe, J., Levchenko, I., Prasad, K., & Alexander, K. (2025). Enhanced plant growth on simulated Martian regolith via water chemistry optimisation: The role of RONS and nano/micro-bubbles. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26, 78318. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178318

3. Prasad, K., Sasi, S., Weerasinghe, J., Levchenko, I., & Bazaka, K. (2023). Enhanced antimicrobial activity through synergistic effects of cold atmospheric plasma and plant secondary metabolites: Opportunities and challenges. Molecules, 28, 27481. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28227481

4. Sasi, S., Prasad, K., Weerasinghe, J., Bazaka, O., Ivanova, E. P., Levchenko, I., & Bazaka, K. (2023). Plasma for aquaponics. Trends in Biotechnology, 41(1), 54–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.08.001

Muhammad Faheem | Robotics in Agriculture | Editorial Board Member

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Dr. Muhammad Faheem | Robotics in Agriculture | Editorial Board Member

Assistant Professor | University of Agriculture | Pakistan

Dr. Muhammad Faheem is a distinguished researcher specializing in Agricultural Mechanization, Robotics in Agriculture, Intelligent Automation, and Control Engineering, with a strong body of work advancing smart and sustainable farming technologies. His research focuses on developing autonomous systems, machine-vision tools, and sensor-based intelligent solutions that enhance precision agriculture, optimize resource efficiency, and improve post-harvest handling processes, with emerging interests in deep-learning applications, multisensory navigation, and automated crop-quality assessment. With key academic appointments, including his role as Assistant Professor at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and research affiliation with Jiangsu University, China, he has contributed extensively to engineering innovative systems for real-time agricultural problem-solving. Dr. Faheem’s major contributions include pioneering CNN-based defect detection frameworks for photovoltaic cells, intelligent sensor-guided variable-rate spraying systems, and advanced autonomous navigation technologies for multi-crop field environments; he has also significantly advanced post-harvest robotics through novel vibration-reduction mechanisms and fruit-handling models, in addition to impactful work on sustainable technologies such as smart composting, biogas systems, and solar thermal collectors. His research has influenced diverse areas including climate-responsive agricultural management, disease-detection systems using deep learning, and high-precision fruit-picking robotics—contributions reflected in widely cited publications across leading journals in energy engineering, environmental sciences, precision agriculture, and smart automation. Dr. Faheem’s impact vision centers on accelerating the global transition toward intelligent, autonomous, and environmentally responsible farming systems by integrating robotics, machine learning, and sensor fusion into practical agricultural operations. Through his interdisciplinary work, he aims to contribute to resilient food production, reduced environmental footprints, and enhanced technological adoption in agriculture worldwide, ensuring that innovations in automation and sustainability directly benefit farmers, industry stakeholders, and the broader scientific community.

Profile: Google Scholar 

Featured Publications 

1. Akram, M. W., Li, G., Jin, Y., Chen, X., Zhu, C., Zhao, X., Khaliq, A., Faheem, M., et al. (2019). CNN-based automatic detection of photovoltaic cell defects in electroluminescence images. Energy, 189, 116319.

2. Abbas, I., Liu, J., Faheem, M., Noor, R. S., Shaikh, S. A., Solangi, K. A., & Raza, S. M. (2020). Different sensor-based intelligent spraying systems in agriculture. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 316, 112265.

3. Xie, B., Jin, Y., Faheem, M., Gao, W., Liu, J., Jiang, H., Cai, L., & Li, Y. (2023). Research progress of autonomous navigation technology for multi-agricultural scenes. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 211, 107963.

4. Javed, T., Afzal, I., Shabbir, R., Ikram, K., Zaheer, M. S., Faheem, M., Ali, H. H., et al. (2022). Seed coating technology: An innovative and sustainable approach for improving seed quality and crop performance. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, 21(8), 536–545.

5. Ajmal, M., Shi, A., Awais, M., Mengqi, Z., Zihao, X., Shabbir, A., Faheem, M., et al. (2021). Ultra-high temperature aerobic fermentation pretreatment composting: Parameters optimization, mechanisms and compost quality assessment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4), 105453.