USDA-ARS Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Phenotyping
Research Project
The primary objective of this project is to develop an automated or semi-automated processing pipeline capable of analyzing high-throughput plant phenotyping and soil-sensing data to extract key phenotypic traits. Advancing crop productivity within sustainable cropping systems will depend on creating regional- and site-specific agronomic practices, as well as breeding hybrids with improved drought and disease resistance. Achieving these goals requires comprehensive plant phenomic data to better understand the complex Genotype–Environment–Phenotype interactions that drive crop performance.
Mentor(s)
The mentor for this opportunity is Haibo Yao (haibo.yao@usda.gov).
Learning Objectives
- Gain expertise in advanced imaging technologies—including RGB, multispectral, and hyperspectral systems—for plant phenotyping using both drone-based and ground based sensing platforms.
- Learn artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to analyze image and geospatial data from diverse sources for crop monitoring and geospatial assessment.
- Gain knowledge and contribute to the design and implementation of a data processing pipeline for high throughput plant phenotyping and soil sensing, enabling extraction of key phenotypic traits.
- Strengthen scientific communication skills through conference presentations and publication of research findings in peer reviewed journals.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received or be currently pursuing a doctoral degree in one of the relevant fields.
Benefits
The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend is $65,000-70,000 annually and a relocation allowance of $1,500.
Pay
The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. The anticipated stipend is $65,000-70,000 annually.
Schedule
The appointment will initially be for one year, but may be renewed upon recommendation of ARS and is contingent on the availability of funds.
Contact
Please visit our Program Website for more information. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.ARS.Southeast@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.