Team

Meet the Smart Biosystem Laboratory Research Group (AGR-278).

Team

Members

Professor Manuel Pérez-Ruiz

University of Seville

Professor of the ETSIA of the University of Seville, specialized in Precision Agriculture and in the application of new technologies to agricultural production. He has developed much of his scientific work at the University of California, Davis (USA). He currently coordinates two research projects, one of the Excellence Program of the Andalusian Government and the other subject to the State Research Program.

Professor Juan Agüera Vega

University of Córdoba

Professor of Agroforestry Engineering at the ETSIAM at the University of Córdoba. Member of the research group Smart Biosystems Laboratory (AGR-278). University professor and researcher since 1982.

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Professor Gregorio Egea Cegarra

University of Seville

His lines of research are focused mainly on the use of new technologies for the management of irrigation, deficit-based irrigation and modelling of the response of crops to the water deficit.

PhD Jorge Martínez Guanter

Corteva Agriscience

Digital Marketing Manager at Corteva Agriscience. PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Seville. Skills in Agronomy, statistical analysis of large volumes of data, Automatic Learning techniques, Computer Vision, as well as mechatronics, LiDAR sensors, remote sensing, drones, GIS and control in microcontroller-based robotics.

Professor Antonio Miguel Pérez Romero

University of Seville

Professor of the Department of Graphic Engineering, within the area of Graphic Expression in Engineering at ETSIA. His lines of research focus on three fronts: 3D surveys, using laser and photogrammetry-SFM techniques. Accuracy of GPS-GNSS systems. Development of applications for teaching innovation in Topography and Geomatics.

Dr. Orly Enrique Apolo Apolo

PhD Student & Researcher

I did my PhD at the University of Seville in the research group Smart Biosystems Laboratory. I have a strong research background with expertise in using artificial intelligence (AI) in precision farming. Currently, I am working in developing models base on AI to be implemented in the agriculture sector. I also have experience in spectral sensors, infrared thermometers, LiDAR sensors among others.

Professor Pedro Castro Valdecantos

University of Seville

Graduated in Agricultural Engineering specializing in Agricultural Operations, Own Master’s Degree in Plant Health and Official Master’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Seville. PhD from Lancaster University (United Kingdom) in collaboration with CUHK (Hong Kong). Focused on the study of the physiology and biochemistry of crops against water stress. Currently working on determining the severity and performance impact of wheat rust with LiDAR sensors and Hyperspectral cameras.

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Professor Manuel Jesús González Ortega

University of Seville

Agricultural and civil engineer specialized in water management, wastewater reuse, and seawater desalination. He has extensive experience in hydraulic infrastructure projects and water resource management for public administrations and river basin authorities. Currently, he is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Seville, where his work focuses on water sustainability and efficient water resource management.

Dr. Luis Sánchez Fernández

Postdoctoral Researcher

Agricultural engineer from the University of Seville.

Research background in the fields of plant-based sensors, drones, LIDAR, and hyperspectral sensors.

Currently working in the development of autonomous phenotyping platforms among other projects.

Manuela Díaz Hidalgo

Project Manager

PhD student at School of Agriculture Engineering (University of Seville) and Project Manager focused on agricultural innovation.

Several years of experience within the agrofood sector being involved in many projects at Spanish, European and International level. Strong background on Product Development, Regulatory Affairs, Food Policy, Environmental Legislation and Sustainability

Cristina Cantais Sánchez

Assistant Technician

Bachelor of Law and Master of Quality Management, with experience in National and International projects management, as well as wide experience in management of training activities.

Technical and Management support to R&D projects, also developing every kind of support and back office activities.

María Barrera Báez

Junior Researcher

Graduated in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Seville with a Master’s Degree in Digital Agriculture and Agri-Food Innovation. Strong background in the monitoring and automation of agricultural irrigation systems.

“Since before I finished my degree it was clear to me that I wanted to do everything in my power to contribute to making the world a more sustainable place”.

Tilde María Lucía Scali

Junior Researcher

Graduated in Political Science from Università della Calabria in Italy, she is currently pursuing a degree in Agricultural Engineering at Universidad de Sevilla. With a multidisciplinary background, she is passionate about the intersection of policy, sustainability, and technological innovation in agriculture.

Committed to continuous learning, she is actively involved in an Erasmus+ European project, emphasizing the importance of adapting to new knowledge and emerging technologies as key drivers of sustainable transformation in agriculture.

María Acebes

Junior Researcher

Graduated in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Seville, focusing on horticultural and fruit plantations and gardening. Master’s Degree in Digital Agriculture and Agri-Food Innovation. Experienced in taking photographs of crops, diseases and pests, selecting and annotating images for algorithm training.

Currently participating in a research project for the early detection of pests and localized application of phytosanitary treatments

Mariana Chiozza

MSc

Agricultural Engineer from the University of Buenos Aires with a MSc.in Genetics and a PhD in Crop Production and Physiology from Iowa State University.

Background in soybean breeding, development and deregulation of transgenic technologies, crop trait predictions based on remote sensing data, and the application of mechanistic crop simulation models.

Currently focused on high-throughput estimation of soil and crop variables, leveraging multiple sensors for predictive modeling of wheat cultivars.

Irene Galindo Lao

PhD student & Junior Researcher

PhD Student at School of Agricultural Engineering (University of Seville). Background working with plant and soil sensors. Currently, working on agronomy and plant physiology, focused on deficit irrigation, plant water stress, and crop water management. His work integrates field measurements and physiological sensors to assess plant responses, support irrigation decisions, and improve crop performance under water-limited conditions.

Current International Guest Researchers

Lorenzo Franciosi

MSc

M.Sc. in Integrated Sustainability of Agricultural Systems at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), Italy, with a research period at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Netherlands.

Currently a PhD student at UNIMORE, working on precision agriculture applied to processing tomato, integrating UAV and satellite remote sensing, proximal sensing, and biostimulant trials.

Salvatore Amato

PhD student

Agricultural Engineering graduate and PhD candidate at the University of Palermo. His research focuses on innovative technologies for sustainable agriculture, including drones, multispectral and thermal imaging, LiDAR sensors, image processing and prescription maps. He has experience in field trials and data analysis in crops such as wheat, legumes, vineyards, olive groves and Moringa oleifera.

Former Members