Arnold Schumann

 

Dr. Arnold Schumann is a Professor in the Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences department, University of Florida, Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, and in the School of Sustainable Design Engineering, University of Prince Edward Island. Dr. Schumann has worked with precision agriculture for 21 years.  Some of his early research from 2001 focused on ultrasonic mapping of citrus canopy size and the use of electromagnetic induction for mapping shallow groundwater depth.  He has worked with researchers at Dalhousie University and blueberry growers in Nova Scotia since 2007 to help develop variable rate sprayers and improve mechanical harvesters for blueberries. In Florida, he successfully developed a variable rate fertilizer applicator for citrus that adjusts fertilizer output based on tree size. The technology was licensed to Chemical Containers Inc. of Florida in 2008, who market the product primarily for citrus, pecan and peach specialty crops. Since 2016 the research efforts were redirected towards the growing arena of artificial intelligence (AI), especially in machine learning and machine vision applications for precision agriculture. New AI research products include smartphone apps for growers, precision herbicide sprayers, and farm robotics.