Engineering for Precision Agriculture Minor

Program Coordinator/Contact

Van Kelley, Department Head
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Raven Precision Agriculture Center 136
605-688-5143

Program Information

The minor in Engineering for Precision Agriculture is appropriate for students interested in preparing for careers with agricultural machinery manufacturers, agricultural service system developers, and service providers. The minor will develop in students the specific skills and understanding required to create new systems that utilize emerging technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability in agriculture.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the minor must understand how sensors, controls, and machines are combined to form a system that matches inputs to site specific conditions. Specifically students will be able to:

• apply mathematics and engineering science to the analysis of systems for crop and livestock production,
• combine sensor technologies with agronomic decision processes to develop solutions for specific agricultural production systems,
• design systems to control the application of inputs to match spatial agronomic input plans,
• demonstrate the ability to work effectively in an area of precision agricultural systems.

Course Delivery Format

Competence in Engineering for Precision Agriculture requires both study and practice. Instruction occurs through a combination of traditional classroom methods, laboratory exercises using contemporary engineering technologies, internship/research experiences, and focused design projects.