Darren Drewry, associate professor, Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Portugal to research “Development of Advanced High Throughput Phenotyping Methods for Management of Perennial Agriculture.”
From January – April 2027, Drewry will work alongside colleagues at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) at the University of Lisbon (UL) to develop methods to assess plant disease and stress conditions using a combination of multi-modal sensing and machine learning. “Using measurements from field sensors and leaf gas exchange systems we can develop models that provide rapid assessments of plant disease and stress conditions. This can allow us to identify and treat issues before they develop into much larger and more costly problems.” explained Drewry.
He will work alongside Maria do Céu Silva who leads the Centro de Investigação das Ferrugens do Cafeeiro (Coffee Rust Research Center, CRRC). Coffee leaf rust is the most important pathogen in coffee, and the CRRC is a global leader in the development of rust resistant coffee plants through understanding plant-disease interactions. Drewry will provide expertise in the use of field spectroscopy and plant physiology techniques to develop methods to infer coffee leaf rust infection, enabling approaches for early detection and treatment. “Machine learning can be used to integrate diverse sensing techniques into powerful methods to understand plant health.” said Drewry.
He will also collaborate with Joaquim Miguel Costa, an expert in plant-water relations of grapevine systems with a particular interest in the application of remote sensing for agronomic management and phenotyping for grapevine selection and breeding. Together these two collaborations at ISA-UL will offer a rare opportunity to advance plant disease early detection and abiotic stress monitoring in perennial agricultural systems. The ISA-UL offers a unique combination of expertise and laboratory and field experimental facilities to support these two synergistic collaborations at the same location.
“This Fulbright award will provide the opportunity to develop and strengthen research collaborations between Portugal and The Ohio State University. I have had the opportunity to visit Portugal several times, and this Fulbright experience will allow me to deepen my understanding and appreciation for Portuguese culture to enhance future interactions and collaborations with Portuguese colleagues. My hope is that this experience will produce long and productive collaborative relationships.” said Drewry.
Fulbright
The Fulbright Scholar Program is administered by the Institute of International Education and is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.
For more information about the Fulbright Scholar Program contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser. View a complete list of Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program recipients.
