Dr Naofel Aljafer

Dr Aljafer is working in a smart-Ag which aims to develop the LED lighting and control systems to facilitate the development of multi-tier, environmentally autonomously controlled growing environments. It focuses specifically on prototyping lights delivering a colour spectrum matched to the photosynthetic needs of plants, the control systems and the software that manages the lights through the growing cycle of a target of many species of crop and pharmaceutical plants. The project will develop, test and modify the lights in a purpose built test facility in order to produce the right LED lighting solution that meets the technical and commercial needs of growers and propagators and enables manufacturers to produce the right products at the right price. The intention is to produce a standardised controlled LED light system that can be readily and easily adapted for the growing of specific and individual crops, to facilitate the development of a major new horticulture supply model in the market with emerging technology.

Also, he worked with the FIND project to detect and diagnose plant diseases using imaging techniques: Chlorophyll Fluorescence (CF) Imaging and Normalised Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI). He is also aiming to optimise early detection methods of nutrient deficiency and disease symptoms for crops grown in open field, greenhouse, and plant factory systems.

2013 - 2017
Ph.D. in Biosciences: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. (Thesis Title: Compare and improve phytoplasma diagnostics techniques and use the techniques at evaluate control strategies).
2011 - 2012
M.Sc. in Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate: School of Life Science, the University of Warwick.
2005 - 2009
B.Sc. (Hons) in Biotechnology BSc in Agriculture: Faculty of Agriculture Damascus University, Syria (2005/2009). The Graduate Project: Efficacy of Chemical Control against Fusarium Wilt Disease (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lentils) on lentils.

2014 - now Society of the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP), UK

2016 - now International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (Isber).
2019 - now New Phytologist Trust.

 | 2013 - 2017 | Demonstrator in Introductory Plant pathology Course for MSc students (C123P1), School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
| 2013 - 2017 | Demonstrator in Integrated Disease Management for MSc students (D241DM), School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, UK.
| 2009 - 2010 | Teaching & Research Assistant (Microbiology & Plant Protection) Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Syria.

I work in the Smart-Ag project aims to develop the LED lighting and control systems to facilitate the development of multi-tier, environmentally autonomously controlled growing environments. It focuses specifically on prototyping lights delivering a colour spectrum matched to the photosynthetic needs of plants, the control systems and the software that manages the lights through the growing cycle of a target of many species of crop and pharmaceutical plants. The project will develop, test and modify the lights in a purpose built test facility in order to produce the right LED lighting solution that meets the technical and commercial needs of growers and propagators and enables manufacturers to produce the right products at the right price. The intention is to produce a standardised controlled LED light system that can be readily and easily adapted for the growing of specific and individual crops, to facilitate the development of a major new horticulture supply model in the market with emerging technology.

Also, I deployed fluorescence imaging equipment in vertical farming systems to monitor plant disease and nutritional status. We are working alongside our sister project, Plant Factory, in order to provide an integrated sensing system and we are developing knowledge which will allow for the automatic assessment of plant health. 

2023       ReCon Soil Mini Symposium, Reading, UK.
2022       22nd World Congress of Soil Science - Glasgow 2022.
2022       ReCon Soil Networking Event at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK
2020       The Potential of Plant Factory Agricultural Systems as a Promising Approach for an Agri-Pharmacy Industry University of Plymouth, UK
2020       Future of Food and Agriculture, New Scientist events, UK
2019      GARNet Workshop on Advances in Plant Imaging Workshop, University of Warwick, UK
2019      Plastid Preview 2019, University of York, UK
2018      The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) in Turku, Finland.
2018      Plant Imaging, 3D X-ray imaging in Hounsfield Facility, the University of Nottingham, UK
2017      Plant Health: Challenges and Solutions workshop, Antalya, Turkey
2016      Learn How to Analyze Microarray and Next Generation Sequencing Data with Partek Software at Imperial College London, UK.
2014      COST FA0807 – WG3 New Perspectives in phytoplasma Disease Management (Barcelona, Spin).
2013      COST FA0807 – WG1 School on Methodologies to improve phytoplasma DNA extraction from plants and insects (Ankara, Turkey).