RITIK POKHAREL

ABOUT

I’m Ritik Pokharel, a passionate researcher at the intersection of agriculture, data science, and automation. With a background in agricultural science and a current role as a Graduate Research Assistant at LSU, I specialize in precision agriculture—leveraging remote sensing, AI, and analytics to drive smarter, sustainable farming. I thrive where drones meet data and agronomy meets algorithms.

RESEARCH WORK

• Soil analysis, GIS-based fertility assessment, and soil mapping of cardamom growing area, Pandam, Ilam, Nepal: https://doi.org/10.22214/IJRASET.2023.51229
• Response of processing techniques on Arabica coffee variety
• Evaluation of soil fertility status of Nepal cardamom field under different shade management
• Factors affecting farm mechanization in Rupandehi district, Nepal
• Crop modeling and yield prediction in rice and in-season simulation
• Nitrogen optimization and digital N management in rice
• Machine learning and remote sensing integration for rice yield forecasting
• DSSAT-based rice modeling and climate-smart simulations

EXPERIENCE

Graduate Research Assistant (Jan 2024 – Present) – LSU, School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences (SPESS) • Conducting field-based and UAV-based rice nitrogen × variety trials • Performing NDRE and vegetation index analysis from multispectral drone imagery • Leading machine learning model development for yield prediction • Integrating DSSAT crop model with satellite and sensor data • Working on optimizing nitrogen use efficiency and phenological modeling in rice

Senior Research Manager (Dec 2021 – Dec 2023) – Gorkha Agri Group, Kalanki-13, Kathmandu & Tulsipur, Dang • Disease identification and management in rice crops • Worked with breeding and seed quality control teams • Provided training and plant health clinics • Partnered with NSAF, CIMMYT, SEAN on seed production

Project Coordinator (Feb 2020 – Aug 2021) – Shreenagar Agro Farm, Butwal, Rupandehi • Led employment & training projects for 2500+ farmers • Collaborated with UKaid, WEP, Baliyo Nepal, SKIH • Promoted climate-smart practices and biodiversity conservation

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION

• Master’s in Precision Agriculture (Ongoing), LSU, School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences – Started May 2024
• Bachelor’s in Agriculture – IAAS, Tribhuvan University, Rupandehi – 78.83%, 2021
• HSEB (Intermediate) – Nepal Mega College, Kathmandu – 72.6%, 2016
• SLC – Little Angel’s Higher Secondary School – 82.88%, 2013

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Third place in AI in Agriculture Conference Poster Competition – Mississippi, 2025
• Attended 2025 International DSSAT Training Program – Griffin, Georgia
• Full undergraduate scholarship – Tribhuvan University
• Vice President – Technical Students’ Association of Nepal (TSAN), Rupandehi
• All-Nepal Chess Tournament Champion
• Sports & quiz competition medals (table tennis, cricket)

SKILLS

• R, Python, QGIS, Pix4D, PlanetScope, DSSAT & crop modeling
• Machine Learning for yield forecasting
• Remote sensing, NDRE analysis, UAV mapping
• Communication, teamwork, and leadership
• English proficiency: TOEFL score 101

📧 ritik.pokharel21@gmail.com | LSU: rpokha2@lsu.edu | 📞 225-220-2592 🏫 School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences 104 Sturgis Hall, 137 J.C. Miller Hall Baton Rouge, LA 70803

BLOG TIMELINE

• May 2025: Insights from DSSAT training at Griffin, Georgia.
• April 2025: Evaluating NDRE index for nitrogen optimization in rice.
• March 2025: Integrating UAV imagery with DSSAT for yield prediction.

♟️ Fun Chess Challenge

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