Juan Romero Cubas

From a coffee farm in Comayagua to the fairway.

Field research, put to work.

1. Turf Agronomic Engineer

   Ecorobotix Inc.

   • Lead agronomic work to adapt and validate ALBA for U.S. golf courses and managed turf.
   • Design trials across turf species, mowing heights and conditions evaluating targeting accuracy, weed control, turf safety, herbicide use and application economics.
   • Guide weed-detection model improvements with engineers.
   • Develop calibration and application protocols and train the U.S. turf team, superintendents, dealers and operators.
   • Coordinate research partnerships with universities and other industry partners.
   Feb 2026–present

2. Northeast Golf & Turf Regional Pre-Sales Manager

   Ecorobotix Inc.

   Regional demonstrations, on-site data collection, university and industry partnerships, dealer and service relationships across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

   May 2025–Feb 2026

3. Graduate Research Assistant

   Virginia Tech, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

   • Led 40+ field and greenhouse trials.
   • Conducted dose-response experiments with diode lasers, liquid nitrogen, radiant heat and acetic acid.
   • Served as primary liaison between Virginia Tech and Ecorobotix for early U.S. machine-vision evaluation.
   • Conducted spray deposition and pollinator research.
   • Helped translate Virginia Cooperative Extension urban nutrient-management training into Spanish.
   • Completed a turf internship at Inter Miami facilities.
   Jun 2023–May 2025

4. Earlier career in Honduras

   • Founder & General Manager, Megasurtidora (wholesale distribution), 2010–2020 — grew monthly sales from ~$10,000 to $80,000 in two years.
   • Independent coffee farm management, 2014–2019.
   • Junior Coffee Engineer, Café Emaús, 2009–2014 — coordinated harvests with 200+ workers, quality and organic production, and sales to buyers including Volcafe, Olam and SOGIMEX.
   • Agriculture Teacher, Instituto Polivalente Pompilio Ortega, 2010–2011.
   • Internships, 2009: AGROIPSA (Honduras) and Grupo FARO (Quito, Ecuador).
   2009–2020

Research Projects

• Machine-vision precision spraying

  2025–present — agronomic adaptation and field validation of machine-vision-guided precision spraying for managed turfgrass.

• Cryogenic individual-plant treatment

  Contributed to the WSSA Innovative Grants Program project “Individual Weed Treatment with Cryogenic Liquid in Managed Turfgrass: A Foundation for Machine-Vision Applicators” ($28,140; awarded Dec 2024).

• Laser and thermal weed management

  Laser energy and patterns; radiant heat, hot water and organic treatments for annual bluegrass in dormant turf.

Articles at Ecorobotix

• Dallisgrass Control on Golf Turf: A Transition-Zone Playbook

  Nov 2026Read →

• Goosegrass Control on Golf Turf: Identification, Timing and Resistance

  Oct 2026Read →

• Post-Emergent Herbicides on Golf Turf: Types, Timing and Control

  Aug 2026Read →

• Pre-emergent Herbicide Guide: How Pre-emergence Weed Control Works

  Apr 2026Read →

In the News

Peer-reviewed publications

1. Pyridate compared to halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, and sulfentrazone for false green kyllinga (Kyllinga gracillima) and yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) control

   Corbett B, Crawford S, Peppers J, Romero Cubas, J.R., Askew SD

   2026 · Weed Technology · DOI 10.1017/wet.2026.10149

2. Response of annual bluegrass (Poa annua), bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, and smooth crabgrass (Digitaria ischaemum) to laser intensity levels and patterns

   Romero Cubas, J.R., Godara N, Askew SD

   2026 · Weed Science · DOI 10.1017/wsc.2026.10107

3. Evaluating deterrent effects on pollinator contact exposure to fluorescent powder in white clover (Trifolium repens)-infested turfgrass

   Godara N, Del Pozo-Valdivia AI, Romero Cubas, J.R., Leo J, Askew SD

   2026 · Weed Science · DOI 10.1017/wsc.2025.10077

4. Effect of optical brightener, pigmented fungicide, and turf colorant on ultraviolet floral features of weeds and pollinator visitation

   Godara N, Koo D, Romero Cubas, J.R., Askew SD

   2025 · Weed Science · DOI 10.1017/wsc.2025.10053

5. Nonsynthetic herbicides for turfgrass: Assessing frequency of consumer information and regional performance for annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) control

   Askew SD, Gonçalves CG, Romero Cubas, J.R., et al.

   2025 · International Turfgrass Society Research Journal · DOI 10.1002/its2.70002

6. A method to spatially assess multipass spray deposition patterns via UV fluorescence and weed population shifts

   Koo D, Godara N, Romero Cubas, J.R., Askew SD

   2025 · Crop Science · DOI 10.1002/csc2.21377

7. Optimizing Laser and Liquid Nitrogen Treatments for Weed Control in Turfgrass Systems

   Romero Cubas, J.R.

   2025 · M.S. Thesis, Virginia Tech (VTechWorks)

Trade & Extension Publications

• Revolutionizing Weed Control in Turf: Thermal Energy and Organic Alternatives to Synthetic Herbicides

  Romero, Godara, Koo, Peppers & Askew

  2025 · Virginia Turfgrass Journal

• AI on the Fairway, the Next Frontier for Weed Management

  Romero & Askew

  Nov–Dec 2025 · Virginia Golfer · Virginia State Golf Association

Education

Awards & Honors

• 2026

  Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Southern Weed Science Society

• 2026

  Robert D. Sweet Outstanding Graduate Student Award, Northeastern Weed Science Society

• 2025

  Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award, Crop Science Society of America

• 2025

  Outstanding Master's Student, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech

• 2025

  Bill Rose Scholarship

• 2025

  First Place Poster, NEWSS

  “Pyridate Admixtures Improve Weed Control”

• 2025

  Third Place Oral Presentation (tie), NEWSS

  “An Individual Plant Treatment System for Evaluating Goosegrass Response to Liquid Nitrogen”

• 2025

  NEWSS Photo Contest, Third Place (tie)

• 2025

  Bayer Mentoring Program participant, Virginia Tech

• 2024–2025

  Virginia State Golf Association Scholarship Foundation

• 2024

  NEWSS Photo Contest, Second Place

• 2024

  Third Place Poster, C-5 Turfgrass Division, ASA–CSSA–SSSA Annual Meeting

• 2024

  First Place Team, NEWSS Weed Olympics

• 2024

  First Place Master's Poster, SWSS/WSSA Joint Meeting, San Antonio

  “Radiant Heat, Hot Water, and Organic Chemicals Control Annual Bluegrass in Dormant Turf”

• 2023–2024

  Louis and Ginger Brooking Graduate Student Scholarship, Virginia Tech

• 2009

  Gamma Sigma Delta, Zamorano Chapter

• 2006–2009

  Honduran Ministry of Agriculture scholarship

• 2008

  High Honors Diploma, Zamorano

Leadership & Service

• Board Member, Virginia Turfgrass Foundation

• Chair and Moderator, New Technologies section

  2026 · Southern Weed Science Society Annual Meeting

• Peer reviewer, weed-science manuscripts

  2026

• Secretary, Graduate Student Organization, Southern Weed Science Society

• Graduate Organization Representative, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech

  2024

• Contributor, Spanish-language Virginia Cooperative Extension turfgrass nutrient-management training

Talks & Presentations

Conference Abstracts