Site Specific Farming, Environmental Concerns, And Associated Advanced Technologies, Provide A Platform For Active Learning And Research At A Land Grant University

A course titled “Advanced Technologies in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences” was offered for the first time at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in spring of 2007. The course was conceived to develop a broader student base for the “Precision Agriculture” related activities that have been ongoing at UMES for the past few years, with support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Maryland Space Grant Consortium (MDSGC), and as such has been opened to all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) seniors and graduate students on campus. In an effort to diffuse the compartmentalization of knowledge and rigid disciplinary boundaries within academia, the course has been designed to be a multi-instructor course. Faculty and staff from Agriculture, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Aviation Sciences, and collaborators from USDA, NASA, and representatives from a local industry involved in “Precision Farming” have worked together to plan and deliver the course. The course content spans over the fundamentals of global positioning systems (GPS), yield monitoring, soil testing, variable rate applicators, fundamentals of plant physiology and agronomy, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), statistics and data analysis, aerial imaging and remote sensing, & nutrient and watershed management. Significant field work using various field sensors, including a chlorophyll meter, pH meter, and other instrumentation to measure leaf area index (LAI) in conjunction with hand held GPS units, is integrated with the course. Funds from USDA will cover at least four summer interns who will be selected from the course participants each year, while the grant is active ( 2009) to continue experiential learning and research activities initiated in spring as an integral part of the course, during the summer months. 1.0 Introduction Precision Agriculture [1,2] is a knowledge-based system that enables farmers to apply precise amounts of fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, or other inputs to specific areas where and when they are needed for optimal crop growth. It integrates many advanced engineering technologies, [3] including GPS receivers, GIS data bases, grid sampling/mapping techniques [4,5] , yield monitors, variable-rate applications [6] and remote sensing imagery [7] . Potentially, these advanced technologies can improve farm profitability, reduce chemical use, and reduce environmental degradation. Environmental concerns and agricultural needs are of critical importance in the rural setting of UMES and its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay. P ge 13081.2 Students will get an opportunity to actively experiment with: •Variable rate application of lime,(fertilizers, herbicides, seedings, etc.); ‚Comparing yield data for different situations to obtain optimum settings for maximizing yield with least environmental impact; ‚Yield monitor settings and combine driving speeds for appropriate calibration; ‚Aerial imaging platforms and camera settings for appropriate imaging. Students reflect on their learning experience in the weekly meetings. They communicate some of their "reflective observations" on the overall learning experience while giving a presentation on their project to variety of audiences, including farmers, K-12 institutions, and the UMES community. Students will reflect on spatial variation of soil and yield data. Students will reflect on their learning experiences in written reports. Students will acquire concrete experiences involving: • Yield monitor calibration, yield data gathering, GPS and mapping of yield data; ‚ Soil data gathering and mapping; ‚ Exposure to combines and variable rate technology equipment (VRT); ‚ Field scouting with hand held GPS, SPAD METER, etc.; ‚ Environmental monitoring; ‚ Aerial imaging using a variety of platforms (UAV, robotic helicopter, etc.); ‚ Advanced software in image analysis and GIS. STUDENT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING in Environmentally Conscious Precision Agriculture (ECPA) Project at UMES: By participating in this project, the students will become familiar with and learn to apply engineering technologies (yield monitor, GPS, Variable Rate Technology(VRT)), geospatial information technology, environmental sciences, remote sensing, and agronomy to technologically intensive farming practices, as well as related issues in water resource management, remote sensing, and mapping using advanced GIS softwares. RO AE