Source: UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGUEZ submitted to NRP
STRENGTHEN PUERTO RICO’S AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES PROGRAMS BY INTEGRATING PRECISION AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1016826
Grant No.
2018-70004-28681
Cumulative Award Amt.
$122,500.00
Proposal No.
2018-03887
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2018
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2021
Grant Year
2018
Program Code
[AA-Q]- Resident Instruction Grants for Insular Areas
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGUEZ
P. O. BOX 9000
MAYAGUEZ,PR 00681
Performing Department
Agricultural and Biosist. Eng.
Non Technical Summary
The proposal aims to close the existing gap between the learning experiences that students receive at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) and the knowledge and skills they need to become successful professionals in modern agriculture. This will be achieved by the acquisition and integration of precision agricultural technologies (PAT) into the laboratories of various agricultural sciences courses and by providing new learning and research experiences. The acquisition of a new tractor with auto-guidance, variable rate technology, and crop and soil sensing technologies will provide the knowledge and experience necessary to address stakeholder identified needs. Strengthening the scientific instrumentation and equipment available will support existing courses and provide opportunities to create new courses and new academic programs at the College of Agricultural Sciences at UPRM. Recognizing the need to develop leadership skills in conjunction with technical knowledge, the proposal will provide opportunities for research learning experiences in PAT. The outcomes of the project will ensure a competent and better-qualified workforce to serve the needs of current and future national food and agricultural science. This proposal addresses the identified USDA-NIFA Needs Areas of Scientific Instrumentation for Teaching and Research.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
100%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
40201202020100%
Knowledge Area
402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;

Subject Of Investigation
0120 - Land;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;
Goals / Objectives
The project objective is to strengthen and improve research and teaching in Agricultural Sciences programs by integrating precision agriculture technologies into course laboratories and by updating instructional materials and equipment. The specific project objectives include the following:i) procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment,ii) develop new laboratories for a precision agriculture technologies course,iii) integrate procured technologies and equipment into the existing laboratories of the agricultural sciences courses, and iv) develop research learning experiences using acquired precision agriculture technologies.
Project Methods
The project team will develop at least eight practices using precision agriculture technology (PAT) for laboratory instruction. The precision agriculture technology equipment and instrumentation will be tested once received and used to validate the laboratory exercises developed prior to its implementation. Laboratory instructors will be trained in the proper use of the precision agriculture technology equipment. Four agricultural sciences courses will be impacted during the project duration: Precision Agriculture Technologies, Agricultural Machinery I, Diagnostics and Control of Plant Diseases and Tropical Fruit Culture I. In addition, the project team will promote research opportunities for undergraduate or graduate students using the precision agriculture technologies and their presentation in local conferences. To measure the success of the project the team will collect quantitative and qualitative data to analyze the progress of the project activities. The information to be periodically collected is: 1) number of laboratory practices using PAT that are developed and integrated to courses, 2) number of students registered and completing those courses, 3) level of satisfaction of the students, 4) number of students doing research using PAT, 5) number of presentations related to PAT in local professional conferences, 6) feedback from stakeholders, 7) number of new students interested in agricultural sciences because of the precision agriculture technologies.

Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:*Undergraduate and graduate, mostly Hispanic, students, agricultural sciences educators, researchers, extension specialists and professionals *A new course on Precision Agriculture Technologies was created and offered and was attended by 14 undergraduate students and one graduate students. *About 10 undergraduate students attended hands-on field training, about 1-3 days, on mapping equipment and field data collection. *Three presentations were made for agricultural sciences professionals and hay and dairy farmers to educate about existing Precision Agriculture Technologies and to obtain their feedback. * Scientific community: A conference presentation was made based on scholarly teaching study conducted as part of the project. Additionally, the conference paper was also published. Mathanker, S. K. 2021. Developing a precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 2100475. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. (doi:10.13031/aim.202100475) * Scientific community: A journal article has been published based on scholarly teaching study conducted as part of the project. Mathanker, S. K. 2021. A precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 37(5): 871-877. (doi: 10.13031/aea.14669). Changes/Problems:COVID-19 situation has adversely affected most of the research activities because of many restrictions imposed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development activities: *Instructional material for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. *A presentation on suitable precision agricultural technologies for Puerto Rico conditions was presented at a regional scientific meeting attended by 30 agricultural researchers, professionals and graduate students. *About 10 undergraduate students attended field training, about 1-3 days, on mapping equipment and field data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?*Instructional material (lecture presentations and audio/video) for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. *A presentation on suitable precision agricultural technologies for dairy and hay farmers was presented in three local meeting of Dairy and Hay Farmers of Puerto Rico. To the meetings attended a total of about 120 participants that included producers, agricultural extension agents and others stakeholders of the dairy and hay industries. * A conference presentation was made based on scholarly teaching study conducted as part of the project. Additionally, the conference paper was also published. Mathanker, S. K. 2021. Developing a precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 2100475. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. (doi:10.13031/aim.202100475) * A journal article has been published based on scholarly teaching study conducted as part of the project. Mathanker, S. K. 2021. A precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 37(5): 871-877. (doi: 10.13031/aea.14669). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? i) procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment: A 110 HP agricultural tractor equipped with GPS based auto-guidance and two hand-held NDVI GreenSeeker sensors. ii) and iii) Development of instructional material: Instructional material for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. • Mathanker, S. K. 2021. A precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 37(5): 871-877. (doi: 10.13031/aea.14669). • Mathanker, S. K. 2021. Developing a precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 2100475. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. (doi:10.13031/aim.202100475) iv) research learning experiences: About 10 undergraduate students attended field training, about 1-3 days, on mapping equipment and field data collection.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2021. A precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 37(5): 871-877. (doi: 10.13031/aea.14669).
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2021. Developing a precision agriculture technology course for regions with lower technology adoption levels. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 2100475. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. (doi:10.13031/aim.202100475)
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2019. Challenges and opportunities for sugarcane mechanization in Puerto Rico. 43rd Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rico Society of Agricultural Sciences (Sociedad Puertorrique�a de Ciencias Agr�colas, SOPCA). December 6, 2019. San Juan, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019c. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 17, 2019. Las Piedras, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019b. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 14, 2019. San Sebastian, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019a. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 8, 2019. Hatillo, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2018. Hay-forage yield sensing for a sustainable dairy industry in Puerto Rico. 42nd Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rico Society of Agricultural Sciences (Sociedad Puertorrique�a de Ciencias Agr�colas, SOPCA). November 16, 2018. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico USA.


Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Undergraduate and graduate Hispanic students, agricultural sciences educators, researchers, extension specialists and professionals. Changes/Problems:Equipment acquisition process has been slower than expected because of the limited availability of PAT suppliers and expertise in Puerto Rico. The investigators are following up the purchasing process and contacting suppliers in Puerto Rico and mainland US. COVID-19 situation has adversely affected most of the research activities because of many restrictions imposed. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development activities: *Instructional material for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. *A presentation on suitable sugarcane mechanization technologies for Puerto Rico conditions was presented at a regional scientific meeting attended by 30 agricultural researchers, professionals and graduate students. *About 10 undergraduate students attended field training, about 1-3 days, on mapping equipment and field data collection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Instructional material for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. *A presentation on suitable sugarcane mechanization technologies for Puerto Rico conditions was presented at a regional scientific meeting attended by 30 agricultural researchers, professionals and graduate students. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?i) Procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment. For the third year of the project the investigators will follow-up and complete the acquisition process for the variable rate spraying equipment. The equipment will be calibrated and tested. Training will be given to faculty, technical personal and instructors for the proper use of the PAT. ii) Develop new laboratories for a precision agriculture technologies course. It is expected, that once the PAT equipment is received, installed, calibrated and tested the first six laboratories for the Precision Agricultural Technologies course will be developed. iii) Integrate procured technologies and equipment into the existing laboratories of the agricultural sciences courses. iv) Develop research learning experiences using acquired precision agriculture technologies. Students will be recruited to work in small research projects during the third year.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? i) Procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment: An auto-guidance system to monitor and map field information in real-time, use variable rate application, and yield monitoring was procured. ii) and iii) Development of instructional material: Instructional material for about 27 lectures was prepared and delivered to 15 students attending the Precision Agriculture Technologies course offered in Spring 2020 semester. iv) Research learning experiences: About 10 undergraduate students attended field training, about 1-3 days, on mapping equipment and field data collection.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2019. Challenges and opportunities for sugarcane mechanization in Puerto Rico. 43rd Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rico Society of Agricultural Sciences (Sociedad Puertorrique�a de Ciencias Agr�colas, SOPCA). December 6, 2019. San Juan, Puerto Rico USA.


Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19

Outputs
Target Audience:During the first year, the focus was the evaluation and acquisition of the precision agriculture technology (PAT). Various presentations were made for agricultural sciences professionals and hay and dairy farmers to educate about existing PAT and to obtain their feedback. Changes/Problems:Acquisition process for the tractor and precision agriculture technologies (PAT) has been slower than expected because of retirement of a key personal and the limited availability of PAT suppliers in Puerto Rico. The investigators are following up the purchasing process and contacting suppliers in Puerto Rico and mainland US. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Professional development activities: A presentation on suitable precision agricultural technologies for Puerto Rico conditions was presented at a regional scientific meeting attended by 30 agricultural researchers, professionals and graduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?A presentation on suitable precision agricultural technologies for dairy and hay farmers was presented in three local meeting of Dairy and Hay Farmers of Puerto Rico. To the meetings attended a total of about 120 participants that included producers, agricultural extension agents and others stakeholders of the dairy and hay industries. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?i) Procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment. For the second year of the project the investigators will follow-up and complete the acquisition process for the auto-guidance, mapping and control technologies that will be installed in the tractor as well on the variable rate spraying equipment. The equipment will be calibrated and tested. Training will be given to faculty, technical personal and instructors for the proper use of the PAT. ii) Develop new laboratories for a precision agriculture technologies course. It is expected, that once the PAT equipment is received, installed, calibrated and tested the first six laboratories for the Precision Agricultural Technologies course will be developed. iii) Integrate procured technologies and equipment into the existing laboratories of the agricultural sciences courses. Once the auto-guidance, mapping and control technologies are installed in the tractor, at least two new laboratories will be developed for the Agricultural Machinery course. iv) Develop research learning experiences using acquired precision agriculture technologies. During the second year, various research opportunities will be identified and described. Students will be recruited to work in small research projects during the third year. Meetings will be held with other faculty in Campus to develop collaborative initiatives using PAT.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? i) Procure relevant precision agriculture technologies and equipment: During the first year of the project the following was acquired: a 110 HP mechanical assisted front wheel drive agricultural tractor and two hand-held NDVI GreenSeeker sensors. The acquisition of the auto-guidance and variable rate application systems are in progress.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019c. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 17, 2019. Las Piedras, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019b. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 14, 2019. San Sebastian, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mathanker, S. K., and F. M. Monroig. 2019a. Precision agriculture technologies for hay and dairy farming in Puerto Rico. 2019 Annual Meeting of Puerto Rican Dairy and Hay Farmers (Reuni�n de Empresa Ganader�a de Leche y Producci�n de Forrajes). May 8, 2019. Hatillo, Puerto Rico USA.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Mathanker, S. K. 2018. Hay-forage yield sensing for a sustainable dairy industry in Puerto Rico. 42nd Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rico Society of Agricultural Sciences (Sociedad Puertorrique�a de Ciencias Agr�colas, SOPCA). November 16, 2018. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico USA.