Careers
ORISE USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Precision Weed Management
Description of Duties
The ORISE participant is a recent Ph.D. graduate who will be a postdoctoral research fellow at the USDA-ARS Crop Production Systems Research Unit, Stoneville, MS. The fellowship will involve collaborating with USDA-ARS scientists on research programs focusing on geospatial technologies to advance precision weed management in cropping systems. This research is a component of ARS National Programs 305 (Crop Production) and 304 (Crop Protection & Quarantine).
The postdoctoral fellow is assigned to a mentor to learn from and to gain skills with a personal and collaborative team research project aimed at leveraging U.S.-compliant unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and AI tools to detect, map, and control herbicide-resistant weeds, supporting the development of sustainable agricultural practices. The successful candidate is expected to (1) help develop novel methods that incorporate advanced technologies for detecting and mapping broadleaf and grass weeds in cropping systems (2) help develop smart protocols and internet-based dashboards for spray drone applicators that will improve herbicide deposition while minimizing spray drift in crop production systems and, (3) help develop ecology-based approaches to managing weeds with herbicide-susceptible versus herbicide-resistant characteristics. The project focuses on conducting preliminary weed surveys and collecting data with fixed-wing UAVs equipped with RGB, multispectral, and thermal cameras, or with handheld spectroradiometers under field and greenhouse conditions. The outcomes will be scalable to large agricultural systems and benefit stakeholders across government, industry, and farming communities. The selected candidate will learn how to manage field and greenhouse studies and establish new experiments to develop geospatial technologies for precision weed management.
The qualified candidate should have received or be pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields (Agronomy, Crop Science, Weed Science, Agricultural Engineering, Remote Sensing, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline). Degree must have been received within the past five years or is anticipated to be received by the appointment start date.
Preferred skills:
Demonstrated experience with remote sensing technologies, including unmanned aerial systems (UASs), RGB/multispectral/thermal cameras, and spectroradiometers.
Ability to apply AI tools and machine learning for advanced image analysis, weed-crop detection, and mapping.
Experience in data collection, processing, and interpretation.
Strong background in precision agriculture and integrated weed management strategies.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate in diverse and interdisciplinary teams.
Evidence of ability to conduct independent and collaborative research.
Demonstrated ability to publish research findings in peer reviewed journal.
Knowledge of crop production systems of major crops.
Knowledge of herbicide resistance and weed ecology.
Strong communication skills for collaboration with USDA scientists and stakeholders.
Demonstrated proficiency with R, SAS or another statistical program.