Hiral Jariwala
Role: Conference Bursary Recipient
Department: School of Engineering
College: College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Conference Attended: 5th CIGR Conference on Integrating Agriculture and Society through Engineering
The 5th CIGR conference on Integrating Agriculture and Society through Engineering mainly focuses on broad aspects of agricultural topics which include urban farming, socio-economic study, life cycle assessment, bioenergy and biofuel from agricultural biomass, soil-water systems, plant systems and postharvest technology, food safety and quality, waste management, GHG emissions and climate change, precision agriculture, agricultural monitoring and data analysis and, animal systems. The CIGR 2021 conference has different categories of presentations which include the roundtable discussion, paper and poster presentation, panel discussion, expert lecture, workshop and field tour.
Location: Quebec City, Quebec (Attending Virtually)
Value: $125
Research Presentation:
A Geochemical Modelling Study on the Reaction between Application of Wollastonite as a Soil Amendment and Urea Fertilizer in Agricultural Soil
My current research relates to the FFT objectives in crops research to enable the intensification of agricultural production by application of urea and wollastonite together and protect the ecosystem by means of carbon sequestration in agricultural soil while reducing the fertilizer requirements for crops. The research in this area explores how the application of soil-amendment mineral and urea affect the soil to intensify agricultural productivity with less environmental impact.
Objectives for Attending:
Attending a conference means that I can meet more advanced researchers, scholars and established senior professionals in my area. As a PhD student working on an FFT project with Dr. Chiang and HQP scholarship recipient, it’s my first conference as a PhD student and a great opportunity for me to present my research in front of peers working in my area and take suggestions to upgrade my research according to the current perspective required for exploring the novel agricultural frontiers and digital agricultural revolution.
The CIGR conference has satellite skills development workshop on applications of machine learning techniques in agricultural engineering which is an emerging research area and a great opportunity for early-stage researchers to get exposure to machine learning and implement it in the current research. By attending presentations from industry experts, professors, peers and policymakers, I will learn from others and improve my skills and knowledge about the field. By attending their talk, I can open up new ways of thinking about my research topic which I had previously not thought about.
Like in any other profession, networking is an opportunity for me to interact with other scholars in my academic circles and it is the way to be invited for a collaborative research project, edited books, special issues in peer-reviewed journals and future opportunities in my area. Also, as most post-conference events are usually informal, I can get the chance to speak to the presenters in person and ask their opinion and advice.
