New Integrated Agriculture Technologies Major Introduced
The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences introduced the new Integrated Agriculture Technologies major this academic year.
The program was developed to prepare students to use technology to increase crop production.
According to projections, the population of the world may approach 10 billion by the year 2050. For food production to keep up with population growth, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization predicts crop production will need to increase by 50 to 70 percent.
“The program caters to students who have an interest in technology, but want to work outdoors to solve real-world problems in agriculture,” said Ben Tracy, associate director of undergraduate programs.
Those graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree will be able to work across disciplines, using a combination of technology and practical knowledge in the crop and soil sciences.
One of the new Connected Technologies Learning Sandboxes.
Students will receive training in crop and soil sciences, computer science, and math. In addition, they will receive training in precision agriculture, autonomous robots, drones, sensors, and data science.
Graduates of the major will be able to demonstrate economic and environmental benefits of integrated technologies, produce accurate digital maps of fields, and operate equipment and software to record and analyze crop-based field and greenhouse data.
Numerous career opportunities will be available for graduates in industries including agribusiness, biotechnology, commercial growers, federal research, regulatory agencies, and alternative energy.
To accommodate the new program, laboratory spaces were created.
The School purchased drones, robots, sensors, and powerful computers for the learning facilities.