Farm406

farm406 52 faculty members, Paul Nugent and Shirin Ghatreh Samani, specialize in agriculture engineering, while Jasmine Neupane and Gaurav Jha focus on agronomy. e four will work together to create precision ag courses for MSU students and aid in developing a future minor. Samani and Nugent are applying for a grant to fund an assessment of what is driving the adoption of precision ag in Montana and what barriers exist — from the technology to education and learning styles. Much of implementing and using precision ag technology is self-taught, Samani and Nugent said, so they want to understand how MSU can overcome these barriers and have the future precision ag program empower farmers. "e biggest challenge I saw developing a program here is we want to know which path we have to take based on what Montana producers and students need in the future," Samani said. "Because we want our outcome to be practical and really apply to Montana ag, we will start with (this grant) and find out where to develop precision ag and what is the best way for Montanans to learn about its benefits." Bajwa foresees an MSU precision agriculture program that is interdisciplinary and offers opportunities not just to students but also to faculty, staff, and Montana producers. Everyone involved can have a well-rounded idea of how precision agriculture can aid various areas — from plant breeding to livestock management, data analysis to gene editing and sustainability; the state's farming industry can only benefit. "is is not just research; it is producer-engaged research," she said. "We can do it in our university fields, but also in producer fields. Doing research in producer fields is the best way to engage a producer. is allows them to become knowledgeable, see the results firsthand and spread the word to their neighbors and friends and keep the conversation moving." While precision agriculture research has been conducted for years on campus and in the fields, the College of Agriculture has its sights set much higher.

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