Researcher - remote sensing of forage crops

The Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden offers a position as Researcher in remote sensing of forage crops. The department specialises in applied agriculture with a holistic view, which includes both crop and animal sciences, and has a clear focus on forage-based dairy production systems. The department includes a research station, Röbäcksdalen, which is a part of SITES - Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science. SITES is a national network of experimental field stations, and offers the possibility to conduct experiments and collect data under different climatic and agricultural conditions. The research station is situated close to Umeå city centre and includes both a modern research barn with dairy cows, and excellent fields and equipment for field experiments. Umeå is an expansive city with two successful universities, SLU and Umeå University. Read more about us at www.slu.se/njv

Duties:

The researcher is expected to further develop a research programme focused on the use of remote sensing applied to forage crops in a Nordic climate. Furthermore, part of the position is to develop and quality check monitoring datasets for publication in databases, as part of the SITES activities at the department.

The research will involve analysis and modelling of forage-intensive cropping systems using approaches such as field experiments, field spectrometers, drone and satellite imagery, laboratory analyses and computer-based modelling. The candidate will have the opportunity to work on existing projects and work in close collaboration with other researchers at the department and the rest of SLU, and through national and international linkages.

The researcher is expected to prepare manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals, and give presentations at conferences directed both to the scientific community and to stakeholders. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop their own research ideas and will contribute to novel research proposals for submission to external funders. Teaching and administrative tasks will also be part of the duties.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate should have a PhD in agronomy, remote sensing (with application to agriculture), or a related field and have conducted a post-doctoral period of at least two years. The successful applicant should have documented success in applying for research funding, and a demonstrated ability to conduct research projects, as evidenced by high quality scientific publications in international peer-reviewed journals. Essential qualifications include coding skills (preferably R and/or python), experience with remote sensing (satellite or drone imagery) and GIS software, and agricultural field research skills. Desirable qualifications include knowledge of forage crops, experience with chemometric modelling, and experience with mechanistic crop modelling (e.g. APSIM, DSSAT, STICS).

Good skills in English (both written and oral) are required and knowledge of Swedish or another Scandinavian language is a merit. Emphasis will also be placed on social skills and the ability to take initiative and to work independently. A valid driving license is a requirement.

Place of work:

Umeå

Form of employment:

Permanent employment. SLU may use probationary employment

Extent

100%

Starting date

1st of October or according to agreement.

Application

We welcome your application no later than 2022-06-30. 

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world. 

SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.

www.slu.se