Black History Month: Kanaan Selasie Doe-Addo

Postdoctoral Position in Precision Irrigation Management in Blueberry

Posted on December 6, 2024

A two-year postdoctoral research position is available starting April 1, 2025 in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia under the co-supervision of Drs. Simone D. Castellarin and Thorsten Knipfer, and will be affiliated to the Applied Biology program. The Faculty of Land and Food System is located in the vibrant and beautiful city of Vancouver (BC, Canada). The expected salary range is $60,000 – $65,000 CAD.

The postdoctoral fellow will make a vital contribution to the funded project entitled: PRIMA – Precision irrigation management for sustainable blueberry production. The project aims to develop irrigation practices that allow water savings, reduce GHG emissions, and maximize fruit yield and quality by utilizing state-of-the art sensor technology. The project will be led by a team of experts in horticulture (Dr. Simone D. Castellarin), plant water relations (Dr. Thorsten Knipfer), and soil science (Dr. Sean Smukler) at UBC, and allow new collaborations with the BC blueberry growers.

Specific research activities include i) monitoring of climate and plant evapotranspiration on field sites, ii) integrating atmospheric monitoring with soil physical properties, iii) collecting plant physiological measurements to ground truth remote sensing data, iv) developing and managing field irrigation treatments, v) conducting assessments of yield and berry quality; vi) coordinating field experiments with blueberry growers and other scientists involved in the project; and vii) disseminating results and knowledge generated to the academic and growers community.

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Plant Science, Agricultural Science, Ecophysiology or a related field. Experience in data logging, field monitoring, physiological and data analyses is preferred. Very strong communication skills (oral and written) are required. Student mentorship is expected.

Application process: Interested candidates should apply by January 31, 2025. Applicants can submit their CV and names of three referees to Dr. Simone D. Castellarin at simone.castellarin@ubc.ca.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, and/or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Selection Criteria: The selection of the candidate will be based on the following criteria: 1) a PhD in an appropriate field of research, 2) a sound knowledge of and demonstrated experience in plant or crop physiology and water relations, 3) ability to conduct high quality independent and innovative research with the ability to carry work through to publication, 5) very strong oral and written communication skills, 6) ability to work effectively both in an independent role and collaboratively with others in a diverse academic and industry settings.