by Noah Newman, Precision Farming Dealer magazine
Iowa State University is offering the state’s first 4-year degree in digital and precision agriculture this fall. ISU associate provost Ann Marie VanDerZanden, who detailed the program during the most recent Iowa Board of Regents meeting, says they expect an initial enrollment of 20 students this fall, and project enrollment to grow to more than 120 students by 2030.
“Interest in the program is strong. Many students in the College of Ag and Life Sciences come from farming backgrounds and they’ve seen first-hand how technology has become ubiquitous in their work,” VanDerZanden says. “This degree will strengthen Iowa’s bioeconomy by providing graduates with training in the technologies and data analysis that makes precision farming possible. These areas will include things like plant and soil science, crop production, pest and weed management as well as efficient irrigation practices.
“The new program is an appropriate fit with Iowa State’s current academic strengths, and in many ways represents the evolution of agriculture,” she adds. “The field of precision agriculture was born in Ames in 1992 with the development of the combine yield monitor by a local company called Ag Leader.”
