Submitted by Dr. Nicolas Tremblay 

 

The 8th Asian-Australasian Conference on Precision Agriculture (ACPA) was successfully held in Ludhiana, India from October 14 to 17th, 2019. A large number of ISPA members were present and many ISPA Board members delivered keynote presentations (including founding ISPA President, Raj Khosla, President-Elect Jess Lowenberg-Deboer, Past-President Nicolas Tremblay and former Secretary Viacheslav Adamchuk).

 

High-level presentations, at the edge of precision agriculture science were offered. The setting was perfect for networking and interactions. The 8th ACPA was a place to realize how much precision agriculture is a dynamic sector, but also how much it has evolved in the recent years, in line with the recently disclosed “ISPA PA definition.” The opportunities around artificial intelligence and small holders were particularly obvious. The trade show, the poster exhibited and the visit of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) with field demonstrations were greatly appreciated. They expressed clearly the commitment of India for Precision Agriculture and the cleverness the country has shown in mastering and adapting the approach and technologies for its reality.

 

About 215 academia and 15 industry representatives from Canada, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, US, Europe, parts of Africa, and India were registered to the meeting, despite complications around visa applications and the onset of a typhoon in the region. A remarkable level of sponsorship and financial support from key industrial and governmental partners in India could be witnessed, which tells a lot about the dynamism and the outlook for the whole sector.

 

The ISPA Board would like to commend the whole 8th ACPA organization, particularly Professor Manjeet Singh, Organizing Secretary, from the Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana, Punjab) and Professor Indra Mani, president of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (New Delhi, India). They have led to a great achievement and have maintained strong links with the ISPA during the process.

 

The ACPA was held since 2005 in Japan, Korea, China, New Zealand and now in India. The next conferences will be organized in Indonesia (2021) and Malaysia (2023).