Humphrey Maambo’s research develops intelligent spraying technologies that allow farmers to deploy pesticides only in the parts of fields that need them.
“Environmental concerns related to pesticide pollution extend to organisms such as non-target plants, aquatic life, wildlife and crops. Precise pesticide application will enhance environmental protection.”
@humphrey_maambo
I am a member of the Applied Intelligent Engineering Systems (AIES) research group in the Department of Engineering under the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University. The relevance of our team’s work has been further been demonstrated in a recent article by The Guardian called “Star Trek for potatoes: can a hi-tech farm save french […]
Agricultural spray nozzles can be described as devices that facilitate spray pattern formation of a pesticide being applied. Nozzle manufacturers prescribe a range of liquid pressure that is sufficient to initiate pattern formation. This pressure range is critical in controlling problems such spray drift – an undesired occurrence which results in spraying pesticides on non-target […]
Pesticides are chemicals that are sprayed on potato crops to protect the plants mainly from fungi and insects. Potato yields are compromised if fungi are allowed to grow on the crop and/or insects are left to eat the leaves. Therefore, their use in potato crops is justified. The spraying target for pesticides that are commonly […]
Pesticides are chemicals used to protect crops such as potatoes against pests that mainly include insects, weeds, and fungi. Correct application of these chemicals plays a key role in food production. If pests are present in the field and pesticides are not applied, crop yields may significantly drop below profitable levels. This makes pesticide application […]
Recent news coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America shows evidence of human urine samples containing detectable traces of glyphosate – a widely used weed killer in agriculture. This news is even more concerning because glyphosate is likely the most used weed killer around the […]
The beginning of summer presents Canadian potato farmers with another opportunity to grow this beloved vegetable. For many farmers, it is often a time when they also prepare for what’s to come throughout the growing season from June to September, depending on when the tubers were planted. For pests like the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), […]
The fact that we only have one planet on which to grow our crops should be motivation enough to act on mitigating the effects of climate change. The effects of climate change have been experienced across the world – with some regions experiencing higher impacts than others. From extremely cold/hot temperatures to shifts in rainfall […]
As much as we love those golden crispy fries, they come at a cost of hurting other organisms, such as aquatic life. Environmental contamination occurs when pesticides are sprayed in potato fields during the growing season. In addition to the drive to make profits, farmers are also pressured into meeting the potato demand for ever-growing […]
I like to call myself the potato bug hunter, and like anything else that requires accuracy and precision, my aim is only considered good if I hit the target. For many potato farmers in Canada, the Colorado potato beetle, otherwise commonly known as the potato bug, has been a persistent pest for potato farmers since […]
Canadian potato farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture have challenges – one of them being climate change. Climate change has brought periods of light and less frequent rainfall in some areas and heavy and frequent rainfall in other areas. Areas that receive heavier and more frequent storms in the summer growing season have had to […]
