It's a technology that eventually will be applied to forestry, fisheries and more. Jackson State is the lead institution in the project, while APSU, the University of Tennessee at Martin and Arkansas State University are supporting institutions. A National Science Foundation grant is making it possible for the institutions to work together to provide this innovative new program. Those students would graduate with both their bachelor of science and AAS degrees at the end of their senior year. Dr. James Goode, chair of the APSU department of agriculture, said the third option is the best for most students.
Precision agriculture is still a young and growing technology.
Goode agreed with Tarter that the practices used in precision agriculture will become valuable in other areas as well. For example, golf courses can probably save more money per acre than farmers can by varying rates of fertilizer, herbicides and irrigation water based on soil conditions. The primary problem today is the lack of technicians who can deliver this service to landowners.