2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Sep 16, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Precision Agriculture Minor

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus


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Program Coordinator/Contact

Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Klingbeil Endowed Department Head and Distinguished Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Raven Precision Agriculture Center 136
605-688-5666

David Wright, Klingbeil Endowed Department Head and Professor
Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science
Raven Precision Agriculture Center 140
605-688-5123

Program Information

The minor in Precision Agriculture is designed for students pursuing careers with agricultural equipment manufacturers, agricultural equipment dealerships, agronomic service providers, production agriculture, and companies working with the management and analysis of agricultural data. The minor will provide students with skill sets needed to provide troubleshooting and support of sophisticated agricultural equipment systems and the decision making skills needed to analyze large amounts of data to determine the precise inputs needed for maximum crop production through data analysis.

Course Delivery Format

Instruction will occur through a combination of traditional classroom methods, laboratory exercises using current agricultural production technologies, and agricultural mapping software.

Student Learning Outcomes


Graduates with a minor in Precision Agriculture will:

  • be able to interpret data from farming and land use decisions and apply spatial statistics to make site specific management recommendations.
  • understand the relationship of soil characteristics and soil classification to land use interpretations.
  • be able to graphically represent the factors that influence crop productivity in a way that facilitates analysis and management of agricultural operations.
  • understand the principles of operation of global positioning systems, agricultural receivers, displays, guidance systems, yield monitors, and the sources of error and correction options to improve accuracy.
  • demonstrate the use of automatic controls for variable rate application and troubleshoot the communication networks for precision agriculture equipment.
  • understand the operating principles of the electronic equipment used in precision agriculture and be able to diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair common equipment malfunctions.
  • demonstrate ability to analyze large amounts of data to maximize both field production and environmental sustainability.

Academic Requirements


Students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher and a grade of C or higher in the program’s coursework.

Total Required Credits: 18-19