Generative AI for Pasture Management in Grass-Based Dairy Farming

This PhD project offers an innovative opportunity to investigate how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) can support pasture management in grass based dairy farming. The research focuses on producing pasture information that is technically sound and useful in everyday farm decision making. The project addresses three linked objectives: i) to understand what types of pasture information farmers find useful, trustworthy, and practical, and how this information should be presented, including whether farmers prefer simple descriptive terms in their own language rather than numerical scores, and how the decision context such as grazing timing influences these preferences; ii) to assess whether modern Gen AI models can accurately and consistently produce farmer relevant pasture information from images captured using common farm devices such as smartphones, field cameras, and drones, using VistaMilk Irish clover dataset; and iii) to examine how farmers interpret, trust, and act on AI generated pasture information in practice, identifying factors that encourage use, barriers that limit adoption, and how AI based insights are combined with farmer experience over time.
The successful candidate will join the dynamic research team at the Centre for Sustainable Digital Technologies (CSDT) in Technological University Dublin. They will work closely with colleagues in the VistaMilk Research Ireland Centre, which brings together 13 agri-food and technology research groups, along with industry partners. The centre is hosted by Teagasc, Ireland’s national agency for agriculture and food research, offering a supportive and collaborative research environment.

Requirements
Applicants should ideally have:
• A minimum 2.1 Honours degree or MSc degree in computer science, data science, or a related discipline
• Strong interest in Generative AI applications, environmental sustainability, or agricultural modelling
• Experience with Python programming, data analysis and quantitative methods
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Meet TU Dublin postgraduate entry requirements, including English language requirements where applicable

This prestigious four-year PhD Scholarship offers a generous annual stipend of €25,000, along with an annual fee contribution. This funding is provided as part of VistaMilk, a Research Ireland funded centre. The scholarship will start in September 2026.

To apply, please email a single PDF document containing your current Curriculum Vitae and a brief letter of interest outlining your motivation, relevant qualifications, and experience, along with the names and email addresses of two academic referees. Please include “PhD – GenAIPasture” in the subject line of your email to:

Dr Steven Davy (steven.davy@tudublin.ie)
Dr. Muhammad Zawish (muhammad.zawish@tudublin.ie)

All eligible candidates will be considered for open position. Late applications will not be considered. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview shortly thereafter.
Closing Date: Tuesday, 2nd June 2026