INVESTING CHECKOFF DOLLARS
PAVING THE FUTURE of Precision Agriculture By Sadie Vander Wal
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ying in the heart of the Midwestern prairies, South Dakota State University has been making an impact in research, education and outreach through its land grant mission since 1881. With deep roots in agriculture, SDSU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences is no stranger to generating innovative solutions to meet the demands of our growing world. In fact, a potential solution to that demand came to life right at SDSU in the form of the nation’s first four-year degree in precision agriculture. Over the past several years, precision technology has revolutionized the way we produce food and fiber. As a result, the use of GPS navigation, satellite imagery or drones is no longer uncommon on agricultural production operations. However, as technology has evolved, the need for trained professionals with the knowledge of how to operate and improve such technology has only increased with time.
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The solution to this growing demand? A bachelor’s degree in precision agriculture from SDSU. Recognizing the region’s need for graduates with strong skill sets in the precision agriculture field, SDSU filled the void by creating an academic minor in precision agriculture in 2014. After the minor quickly gained popularity, the college began constructing a curriculum consisting of both agronomic and agricultural engineering courses. From there, the SDSU Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science and Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering produced the nation’s first four-year degree in precision agriculture. “Our precision agriculture students are not only learning about equipment, but also about agronomy, soil science and data analytics before putting all of the pieces together to understand how technologies work and how they can be applied to any given farmer,” South Dakota Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food Winter Issue 2020
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