Precision Agriculture

What you will learn

Students attending the PA Executive Master will:

learn how to identify spatial and temporal variability in crops and soils
learn to measure soil variability and map soil fertility
use satellite-Based Positioning and Geographic Information Systems
use guidance-based Applications
develop prescriptions and recommendations based on PA Systems
understand functioning of precision Irrigation Systems
learn about Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Use remote sensing technologies and applications
Use proximal Soil and Plant Sensing

The Master Courses

The courses of this master program are organized in modules as follows:

M1. Understanding and Identifying Spatial and Temporal Variability
M2. Satellite-Based Positioning and Geographic Information Systems
M3. Developing Prescriptions and Recommendations for PA Systems
M4. Precision Irrigation Systems / Robotics and Autonomous Systems
M5. Remote Sensing Technologies and Applications/ Proximal Soil and Plant Sensing
M6. Precision Agriculture Statistics and Data Management/On farm experimentation
M7. Economics of Precision Agriculture
M8. Participant’s project presentation and evaluation

Summary

This Precision Agriculture executive master program will provide basic knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and applied aspects of precision agriculture. The program is designed to introduce students to the current concepts, technologies, tools, and information management strategies employed in precision agriculture.

Description

The program will combine classroom lectures, hands-on computer activities, in-field practical exercises and demonstrations, and field tours. The goal of the courses is to provide students with the practical skills to apply their theoretical learning in real-world situations. A professional project will also be assigned at the beginning of the course to each student. The project will allow them to explore a topic in precision agriculture within their area of interest. Each student will be mentored by a member of the course faculty and the project will be defined in collaboration among the student, his/her mentor, and the course coordinator.

Key Benefits

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

Define, discuss, and explain major components of precision agriculture systems from various perspectives
Identify agronomic and environmental factors that can be addressed and managed using precision agriculture practices
Understand how global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing systems, and robotics work and how to use them in precision agriculture
Describe different spatial sampling strategies and interpolation methods used to collect data and create maps and the strengths and weaknesses associated with different methods
Understand spatial statistics and data management, analyses, and interpretation techniques used in precision agriculture
Develop site-specific and/or variable-rate prescriptions
Identify metrics needed to measure the success of precision agriculture prescriptions
Evaluate the value of precision agriculture compared with traditional approaches
Recognize opportunities and limitations for implementing precision agriculture practices into different farming scenarios

Who should attend

Engineers and individuals holding a master’s degree in relevant fields with a basic knowledge of computer science
B2/Upper Intermediate English proficiency level