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Precision Agriculture TechnologyAssociate in Applied Science (90 Credit Hours)Precision agriculture is an integrated agricultural management system designed to optimize inputs, maximize agricultural production through the application of crop information, advanced technology and management practices. It is also known as site-specific farming or farming by the foot and recognizes the in-field variation of a farm land and tries to apply right amount of inputs at the right place and at right time. The general precision agriculture technology tools are global positioning system (GPS), geographical information system (GIS), yield monitoring system (YMS), variable rate technology (VRT), and sensors including remote sensing (RS). Precision agriculture technology studies the soil variability, topography, crop management and the ability to affect level of nutrients, compaction, soil pH, and in the end, how the crop produces. The ability to map, record, and analyze these viabilities helps producers make better decisions and increase efficiency. The benefits of precision agriculture are both economic and environmental. The economic benefits for the producer can include increased monetary return, more income or operating at a lower cost. The environmental benefits include the ability to make management decisions that will reduce the impact of fertilizer and chemical applications on natural resources. Graduates from the Precision Agriculture Technology program will be prepared for a higher level of agriculture, in which most new jobs require skills in GIS, GPS, yield monitoring, variable rate technology and remote sensing in addition to the familiar disciplines of agronomy, plant science, and agri-business. The Precision Agriculture program contains normal agriculture coursework as well as courses that educate students in the uses of new technologies needed to make Precision Agriculture effective. Although the A.A.S. degree in Precision Agriculture Technology is designed as a terminal degree, students may continue their education beyond the A.A.S. degree. 
Precision Agriculture TechnologyOSU Institute of Technology's new program in Precision Agriculture is the only one of its kind in the Southwest. A degree program using advanced technologies to maximize profits and helping protect the environment will be a tremendous asset for the future of Oklahoma agriculture. New developments in agricultural technologies and systems over the past decade have created opportunities that our grandfathers could never have imagined. An educational program designed to help students utilize and expand these technologies in agriculture is a valuable addition to OSU Institute of Technology and to Oklahoma's agricultural industry. Precision Agriculture technology brings efficiency to farming by reducing input costs, improving yields and creating greater net profits. The field of Precision Agriculture is a technically demanding field that few people understand. Agronomy, Soil Science, Machine Electronics, Agriculture Economics, and Computer based mapping and farm management systems, are integrated to help farmers grow, manage their crops in ways that are more profitable and helpful for the environment.
Graduates from the new program will be prepared for a higher level of agriculture, in which most new jobs require skills in GIS, GPS, and remote sensing in addition to the familiar disciplines of agronomy, plant science, and agri-business. According to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, one of the state's largest industries is agriculture, contributing $7.1 billion annually to the state's economy. Agriculture represents 10% of the state's gross product and provides one of every six jobs in Oklahoma. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates there are 2.1 million farms in the U.S., using 941 million acres of land, with production worth $200 billion a year. A recent article in Geotimes Magazine notes, "Just a one percent increase in efficiency can yield a $2 billion change. If application of precision agriculture can help farmers better manage their land, all may benefit."
OSU Institute of Technology's program is designed to meet the needs of two types of students: those who want to earn an associate's degree in agriculture with high employment potential; or those who want to complete their first two years of an agriculture degree, then transfer to OSU's Stillwater campus to earn their bachelor's degree. Potential EmploymentEmployment opportunities range from botanist to environmental compliance assurance manager or pollution prevention/control manager, to agricultural economist, agri-marketing specialist, or farm/ranch manager, farm equipment sales and service, herbicide sales and consulting, field consulting (crops), survey technician, GPS/GIS technician.
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Where farmers once looked up at the skies and hoped for rain, now, using satellites, they look down on the earth to see what their land needs. Farmers can use satellite global positioning technology (GPS) to program farm equipment according to a computer analysis of a section of land, The machinery then delivers specific amounts of seed, chemical or fertilizer to meet the requirements of each individual area within a field.
OSU Institute of Technology students will be learning to use GPS and GIS technologies to provide detailed information to farmers on their crop's health status, irrigation and fertilizer need, plus warn of attacks by insects or weeds.