Biosystems Engineering announces its Outstanding Paper Awards for 2026

For many years Biosystems Engineering has presented awards for outstanding papers published over the preceding two-year period and announced the winners to coincide with scientific conferences organised by EurAgEng. The journal normally selects three award-winning papers and does not discriminate between the winners.

Biosystems Engineering, the peer-reviewed engineering science journal owned by the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), is a truly international journal publishing research from across the globe. It is also the official journal of the European Society of Agricultural Engineers (EurAgEng).

The papers receiving awards were nominated from a shortlist of papers selected by the journal’s editors from the high-quality research published in Biosystems Engineering. The awards recognise the breadth and depth of contemporary biosystems engineering research, highlighting contributions across areas including robotics and artificial intelligence, sustainable production systems, and advanced biological process modelling.

Dr Peter Demeyer, Editor-in-Chief of Biosystems Engineering, was pleased to see that this year’s winners demonstrate both the scientific excellence of the journal’s published research and the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of biosystems engineering.

This year the awards were presented at the CIGR EurAgEng 2026 World Congress in Torino, Italy.

The 2026 Outstanding Paper Award winners are:

Semantics-aware next-best-view planning for efficient search and detection of task-relevant plant parts

Authors: Akshay K. Burusa, Joost Scholten, Xin Wang, David Rapado-Rincón, Eldert J. van Henten, Gert Kootstra (The Netherlands)

Published in Biosystems Engineering, Volume 248, December 2024, Pages 1–14.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2024.09.018

This paper explores the use of semantics-aware next-best-view planning to improve the efficiency of robotic systems searching for and detecting task-relevant plant components. The research demonstrates the potential of combining perception, artificial intelligence and robotic decision-making to support more effective automation in agricultural applications.

Unveiling host-seeking behaviour in entomopathogenic nematodes via lab-on-a-chip technology

Authors: Gianluca Manduca, Valeria Zeni, Anita Casadei, Eustachio Tarasco, Andrea Lucchi, Giovanni Benelli, Cesare Stefanini, Donato Romano (Italy)

Published in Biosystems Engineering, Volume 255, July 2025, Article 104159.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2025.104159

This research applies lab-on-a-chip technology to investigate host-seeking behaviour in entomopathogenic nematodes, providing new insights into biological interactions relevant to sustainable pest management strategies.

Non-ideal continuously stirred bioreactor model for multi-media denitrifying processes

Authors: Lori Han, Bruce Wilson, Joe Magner (USA)

Published in Biosystems Engineering, Volume 253, May 2025, Article 104129.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2025.104129

This paper presents modelling approaches for non-ideal continuously stirred bioreactor systems used in multi-media denitrifying processes, contributing to improved understanding and optimisation of biological treatment systems.

Commenting on the awards, Dr Peter Demeyer highlighted the diverse range of research represented by the winning papers, demonstrating the broad scope of biosystems engineering and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to addressing challenges in agriculture, food production and environmental sustainability.

The Outstanding Paper Awards continue to recognise excellence in biosystems engineering research and celebrate the international community contributing to the advancement of engineering solutions for biological systems.