Luan Oliveira, a precision agriculture specialist for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, is leading efforts to integrate advanced technology into Georgia’s agricultural sector. His work focuses on robotics, artificial intelligence, and drones to enhance farm operations across the state.
Oliveira’s interest in agricultural engineering was shaped by his upbringing in Brazil. “Because of my upbringing, I’ve always been exposed to farming operations, directly and indirectly,” said Oliveira. He added that working in his father’s auto parts store gave him early exposure to the machinery side of agriculture.
During his undergraduate studies at Brazil’s Federal University of Paraíba, Oliveira discovered an additional passion for university Extension programs. “It was then when I found another passion: university Extension,” he said. He participated in a scholarship program bringing gardens and nutrition education to young students.
After completing advanced degrees and gaining experience at land-grant universities in Alabama and Nebraska, Oliveira joined the University of Georgia (UGA). Now based at UGA’s Tifton campus as an assistant professor in the Department of Horticulture at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, he leads the Precision Horticulture Lab.
“We are working with the distinct goals of increasing awareness and knowledge of products on the market, educating growers and county Extension agents on how those technologies might be valuable to them, and creating a sustainable ecosystem — not only environmentally speaking but also socially and economically,” Oliveira said.
His team collaborates with farms statewide to implement precision agriculture tools. The lab has developed weeding and spraying robots as well as the award-winning Drone Dock—a fully automated refueling and reloading station for large spray drones capable of covering multiple acres per day. The Drone Dock automates pesticide calculation, dosing, and mixing via a mobile app.
Research suggests this technology could reduce human exposure to chemicals while improving accuracy in chemical use—potentially lowering environmental impact by using fewer pesticides overall.
“We’re already looking ahead to develop a platform that will support other robotic operations,” Oliveira said.
Since August 2023, Oliveira has served as Georgia’s precision agriculture Extension specialist for specialty crops. His program dedicates most resources to Extension activities guided by farmers’ needs throughout Georgia.
“To be able to serve as a bridge between UGA, Georgia growers, industry collaborators and the scientific community has been one of my proudest accomplishments,” Oliveira said.
