Alliance expert: Dr. Prasad Daggupati
Using technology to help growers preserve and protect their soil
School of Engineering, University of Guelph
Humans, agricultural processes and climate change all impact soil-water systems across Ontario. This is why Dr. Prasad Daggupati, researcher in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, is looking for long-term solutions above and far beneath the soil surface over different time periods and in a range of environments.
Research focus in the agri-food sector
Using geographic information systems, hydrological modelling, artificial intelligence and field experimentation, Daggupati hopes to develop sustainable management strategies that will help growers preserve (and protect) their soil quality and health. In addition, he and his team are building a better understanding of how agricultural practices impact soil erosion, surface runoff, water quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Support from the Alliance
Make an Alliance connection
- Email Prasad: pdaggupa@uoguelph.ca
- Dr. Prasad Daggupati’s profile
Research that's making an impact
Tracking surface water and sediment flow in agricultural fields: Daggupati and his team are studying how water, sediments and nutrients move on the soil surface through small, shallow channels known as “ephemeral gullies” that are formed by heavy rainfall and snowmelt. These gullies not only rob growers of fertile topsoil through surface erosion, but also significantly impact water quality.
The researchers use a combination of aerial drone photography and hydrological and water quality models to understand how ephemeral gullies form, while also tracking the movement of sediment and nutrients (like phosphorus) leaving agricultural fields and entering watershed outlets.
Photo: Daggppati (in red) using unstaffed aerial vehicles to study water movement on the soil surface.
Interactive tools to understand tile drainage systems: Daggupati and his team have developed a set of two interactive, table-top tile drain demonstration models. This allows growers to gain a better understanding of water movement through soil and tile drainage, as well as different soil types influencing this movement.
Exploring soil greenhouse gas emissions and water quality: Various best management practices (BMPs) are implemented to enhance water quality (reducing erosion and nutrient runoff) in agricultural fields. However, the potential impact of BMPs on nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions—specifically, nitrous oxide—remains unexplored.
Daggupati and his team are conducting field experiments and using hydrological models to identify BMPs that effectively improve water quality while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.
Photo: Daggupati looking at tile drainage outlets in an Ontario field.
Highly qualified personnel training and education
Daggupati’ s graduate and undergraduate students are deeply involved in hands-on field work that sees them interact with Ontario farmers, while performing cutting-edge hydrological and water quality modelling to help solve emerging water quality and quantity issues.
All students are mentored in critical thinking, as well as writing and communication skills needed for submitting research articles to peer-reviewed journals.
Industry and academic collaborations
In addition to support from the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, much of Daggupati’ s current work receives federal and provincial funding through the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Daggupati is also supported by independent funding authorities, including the Southern Ontario Smart Computing Innovation Platform, Mitacs and the Ontario Centres of Excellence, in addition to the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and several conservation authorities.
He collaborates closely with researchers from the University of Waterloo and industry partners, such as Greenland International Consulting Ltd.
Photo: Daggupati and OMAFA water quality engineer Kevin McKague examining edge-of-field best management practices.
Future research directions
Daggupati intends to continue his work exploring solutions to address water quality and scarcity, but with an increased emphasis on how erosion mitigation practices impact soil health and greenhouse gas emissions.
Another future research interest will focus on helping farmers overcome the barriers of costly (and time-consuming) lab analysis, with machine learning models that can accurately predict soil organic matter and moisture content from smartphone-captured imagery.
Further reading
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