The University of Mount Olive in North Carolina has launched a new Precision Agriculture minor for spring 2023. In the video below, we catch up with Dr. Sandy Maddox, Dean of the UMO School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, to discuss how the minor fills a critical need in the industry and whether more universities will begin offering precision ag minors/majors. 

The university is partnering with local Case IH dealership B&S Enterprises to help build the program.

"You're not going to find a lot of people that can credential to teach this, so they've been a great partner in guiding us in curriculum and also providing us with the hands on materials we need," Maddox says.

The minor will include 6 courses, covering a variety of topics from basic concepts to data management, drones, autonomy and more. The plan is to elevate the Precision Ag minor to a major by the fall of 2024.