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Purdue Extension: Digital Agriculture Curriculum

As more farms adopt precision agriculture technology, the industry will need people with proven skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), data science, programming, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and equipment.

Purdue Extension’s Digital Agriculture Curriculum prepares participants for early jobs in agriculture through experiential learning in precision agriculture technology.

Curriculum Overview

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The curriculum is designed for:

  • High school juniors/seniors
  • Community/junior college students
  • Career center patrons
  • Early career professionals

Units include:

  • Soil Nutrient Management
  • Plant Nutrient Management
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Applied Information Technologies
  • Data Management
  • Precision Agronomy
  • Precision Equipment
  • UAV Technologies

Facilitator resources include:

  • Detailed instructor manuals with required equipment lists
  • 90+ student activities
  • Comprehensive PowerPoint slides
  • Educator training workshop
  • Support from Purdue Extension Digital Agriculture specialists

Core Competencies 

Those completing the course will:

  • Understand basic soil science, interpret soil tests, plant science, and plant tissue tests, and generate fertilizer recommendations.
  • Pilot UAVs for remote sensing and imagery interpretation.
  • Employ various sensing platforms, computer programming languages and internet of things (IoT) technologies to create basic software and agronomically useful devices.
  • Implement data management practices to understand, clean, analyze, visualize, interpret and summarize data using various software.
  • Learn to work with a GIS to develop variable rate technology prescriptions.

Sign up at cvent.me/N9KDNn or contact us for more information!


Austin Pearson, agriculture and natural resources educator,
           Purdue Extension – Tipton County, 765-675-1177, pearsona@purdue.edu 
John Scott, Digital Agriculture Purdue Extension coordinator, 765-894-1694, scott42@purdue.edu

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