Interview with Dr. Yongliang Qiao—Winner of the Agronomy 2024 Young Investigator Award

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Yongliang Qiao is the winner of the Agronomy 2024 Young Investigator Award. The Agronomy Young Investigator Award was established in 2019 to acknowledge the achievements of young investigators in the field of agronomy and agroecology. Nominations are accepted from May to December each year, with the winner notified by the end of March the following year.

As a winner, Dr. Qiao will receive CHF 2000 and a certificate of award. All winners were chosen by the award committee (Prof. Leslie Ann Weston, Prof. Dr. Christos G. Athanassiou, Prof. Dr. Junliang Fan, Prof. Ilias Travlos).

The following is an interview with Dr. Yongliang Qiao:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
My research centers on advancing agricultural resilience and sustainability through the deep integration of artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data analytics. I focus on enabling efficient automated perception, intelligent decision-making, and precision operations within smart agriculture, while addressing key real-world challenges such as foundation models for agriculture, agricultural machinery development, and sustainable farming practices.

2. Could you elaborate on how you initially learned about the Agronomy journal? Furthermore, what inspired you to apply for the 2024 Agronomy Young Investigator Award?
During my research journey, I have frequently read articles published in Agronomy, which has given me a deep appreciation for the journal’s professionalism and impact in the field. Later, I noticed that a scholar working in similar research areas had applied for the Young Investigator Award from the journal. I was inspired by his example and motivated to apply as well. I hope that through this application, I can not only bring greater visibility to my research achievements but also expand opportunities for academic exchange and further advance the progress of my work.

3. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
Based on my experience, it is essential to read extensively and think deeply, with a particular focus on investigating causal relationships rather than merely identifying surface-level correlations. Only by thoroughly understanding the underlying mechanisms can we formulate meaningful and valuable research questions and produce truly impactful scientific outcomes.

4. What is the secret to a happy scientific life? Have you ever encountered any difficulties conducting research, and how did you overcome them?
I believe the key to a fulfilling life in scientific research lies in maintaining passion and curiosity. The sense of accomplishment that comes from solving a challenging problem can be incredibly rewarding. At the same time, being able to share research outcomes with the public—helping people understand science and address real-world issues—also brings a strong sense of responsibility and satisfaction.
Of course, the research journey is not without its difficulties. For example, in my work on crop and weed recognition, the specific growth cycles of plants imposed time constraints on data collection, which affected the progress of the project. To overcome this, I optimized the data acquisition plan and integrated multi-source data and augmentation techniques to ensure the study could continue smoothly. While the path of scientific research is often challenging, it is precisely these obstacles that make the process of exploration more meaningful.

5. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
Open access (OA) plays a significant role in advancing scientific progress and promoting knowledge sharing. By removing paywalls, OA allows researchers and the public from diverse backgrounds around the world to access the latest scientific findings equally. From a researcher’s perspective, OA helps increase the visibility and citation of academic work. However, the high article processing charges (APCs) of some journals can impose a financial burden, particularly on early-career researchers. Therefore, it is important for the academic community and funding agencies to work together to establish a fair and sustainable support system for OA publishing.

6. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
In the coming years, agricultural research will focus on sustainable technologies and intelligent agricultural machinery that can adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. By integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and remote sensing, the goal is to achieve digital crop management that enhances resource use efficiency and agricultural productivity while addressing climate challenges. Moreover, with growing global concerns over food security and environmental pressures, the importance of research into agricultural policies and governance will continue to rise.

7. Could you share your vision for the future of your research and the contributions you aspire to make in the field of agronomy?
I aim to deeply integrate cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics into agriculture to develop a smart agricultural platform that combines adaptive perception, autonomous operation, and intelligent decision-making. This platform will foster interdisciplinary collaboration across information science, agronomy, and agricultural machinery, gradually achieving an intelligent agricultural system with a closed-loop control process of “sense–perceive–decide–act”.
The ultimate goal of my research is to enhance agricultural productivity, minimize resource waste, and improve resilience to climate change through technological innovation, thereby providing robust scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of global agriculture.

8. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone you wish to thank?
I sincerely thank the Agronomy journal for establishing this meaningful Young Researcher Award, and I am deeply grateful to the review committee for recognizing my work. At the same time, I am profoundly thankful to my family for their constant understanding and support. This honor is not only a great encouragement but also strengthens my confidence to continue pursuing my research.
I am also deeply grateful to two mentors who have shaped my academic growth: Prof. Javen Qinfeng Shi, an internationally renowned scholar in causal artificial intelligence and its applications, whose rigorous research and innovative insights have greatly inspired my integration of AI with AgTech; and Prof. Salah Sukkarieh, a prominent leader in field robotics, whose vision and expertise have broadened my perspective on the forefront of agricultural innovation.