Environmental Internship Program - 2023 Booklet

Riyan Charania ’26
COMPUTER SCIENCE
FOOD SYSTEMS
AND HEALTH
PROJECT TITLE
Farm Project Field
Assistant
ORGANIZATION(S)
Rubenstein Lab,
Department of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology,
Princeton University
LOCATION(S)
Princeton, New Jersey
MENTOR(S)
Daniel Rubenstein,
Class of 1877 Professor
of Zoology, Emeritus,
Professor of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology,
Emeritus; Gina Talt,
Project Manager, Food
Systems, Office of
Sustainability
Due to an increasing global demand for food,
it’s important that we have more productive and
environmentally friendly growing methods. To
address this, we researched the “three sisters”
Native American agricultural growing technique,
which utilizes mutualisms between corn, beans
and squash to maximize their productivity. We
tested different designs of growing these crops
and analyzed each configuration by collecting
field data through Arable sensors. These sensors
provided information about factors such as
plant health, environmental temperature and
precipitation. We also collected data by setting
up insect traps, collecting soil moisture data
and taking drone photos of the field. We then
used the statistical analysis software JMP to
graph and analyze the data for insights into
the potential benefits of using the three sisters
farming method. Through this internship, I
learned just how technology can be integrated
into agriculture, and I hope to continue finding
innovative ways to use technology to create a
more sustainable future.
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