Earl Ranario

I work on developing AI-driven tools to accelerate plant phenotyping by combining advanced sensing technologies with machine learning. My research focuses on improving plant trait identification using generative AI and enhancing model performance through synthetic data. By integrating low-cost sensors and scalable data collection methods, I aim to make high-resolution crop analysis more accessible and efficient.

Education

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biological Systems Engineering

Institution: University of California, Davis
Dates: 2018 – 2022

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biological Systems Engineering

Institution: University of California, Davis
Dates: 2023 – Now
Dissertation: TBD
Advisor: Dr. Mason Earles

Experience

  • Undergraduate Student Researcher
    UC Davis | 2019 – 2021
    • Designed and implemented an experiment to calculate ground truth bulk density and volume of pepper plants for high throughput phenotyping using image processing techniques.
  • Precision Phenotyping Intern
    Corteva Agriscience | 2021
    • Integrated autonomous navigation for robotics in an agricultural field for assisting in phenotyping corn in all stages.

Awards & Honors

  • AIFS Farm Robotics Challenge 2023: Elegance of Design
  • AIFS Research Fellow 2021-2022
  • ASABE Robotics Challenge 2018: 2nd place beginners division
  • ASABE Robotics Challenge 2025: 3rd place advanced division

Leadership, Outreach & Volunteer

Leadership

  • Robotics Judge — AIFS Farm Robotics Challenge 2026
  • President, International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineers (UC Davis) 2019 – 2022
  • Hackathon Mentor — Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Fairgrounds Project 2026 [photo]

Outreach

Volunteer

  • Participated in the ASABE K.K. Barnes Paper Competition to help organize the ABT class program 2021
  • Traveled to Uganda and Tanzania to help deploy drones and rovers to accelerate plant breeding programs 2024