Educating Technicians to Use Precision Technology for Innovative Livestock Management

教育技术人员使用精密技术进行创新的牲畜管理

• 批准号: 2100339
• 负责人: Jay Olsen
• 金额: $ 30.46万
• 依托单位: Snow College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-05-15 至 2024-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2100339&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Educating; Technicians; Use; Precision; Technology

The livestock industry is an important part of Utah's economy, especially in the rural six-county region served by Snow College. Livestock managers apply biological and chemical principles to livestock growth and production. In livestock operations, feed is the largest annual expense. Thus, to increase profitability, livestock farmers and ranchers must find ways to minimize feed costs. An emerging technological approach to feed costs and sustainability is Innovative Livestock Management. This approach includes the use of complex technologies, such as precision irrigation and geospatial monitoring of grazing and feed production to maximize fodder production. In addition, Innovative Livestock Management includes composting technologies to manage livestock waste, while maintaining and improving water quality, increasing environmental sustainability, and producing marketable compost that can further increase profitability. This project will support development of the first Innovative Livestock Management program in Utah. Through this program, students will learn about innovative livestock management approaches and gain the related technical skills to improve economic success, profitability, and sustainability of livestock production. Graduates will be able to apply these skills to manage large industrial ranching operations or small family-owned farms. As a result, this project can strengthen Utah’s agricultural economy, while improving water conservation and water quality. In addition, the new Innovative Livestock Management program, which focuses on scientific, technical, and management skills, may be replicable at colleges throughout the nation. The new Innovative Livestock Management program will offer stackable certificates and an A.A.S. degree. It will also develop articulation agreements that enable students to transfer to four-year institutions and earn advanced degrees. The program will offer a curriculum that includes two new classes, "Forage and Grazing Management" and "Composting and Regenerative Livestock Waste Management," along with modifications of existing courses in irrigation management, animal feeds and animal science, and drones and aerial imagery. Graduates will be able to assume management responsibilities by applying their knowledge and skills in data-driven precision technologies in 1) the planting of forage varieties, 2) the use of fertilizer and irrigation to improve feed production, 3) livestock waste management and composting, 4) the use of drones, GPS, and GIS for monitoring both grazing and feed production, and 5) evaluation of animal performance. An advisory committee of representatives from local livestock industries, including family farms, will guide program development to ensure that it appropriately addresses specific management needs. An additional component of the project will be the development of a pathway that connects high school students in agricultural courses to this program. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

畜牧业是犹他州经济的重要组成部分，特别是在斯诺学院服务的农村六县地区。畜牧业管理人员将生物和化学原理应用于牲畜的生长和生产。 在畜牧业中，饲料是最大的年度支出。因此，为了提高盈利能力，畜牧业者和牧场主必须找到最大限度地降低饲料成本的方法。 一个新兴的饲料成本和可持续性的技术方法是创新的牲畜管理。 这种方法包括使用复杂的技术，如精确灌溉和对放牧和饲料生产进行地理空间监测，以最大限度地提高饲料产量。此外，创新的牲畜管理包括堆肥技术来管理牲畜废物，同时保持和改善水质，提高环境的可持续性，并生产可进一步提高盈利能力的可销售堆肥。 该项目将支持犹他州第一个创新牲畜管理项目的发展。 通过该计划，学生将学习创新的牲畜管理方法，并获得相关的技术技能，以提高经济成功，盈利能力和畜牧业生产的可持续性。毕业生将能够运用这些技能来管理大型工业牧场业务或小型家庭农场。因此，该项目可以加强犹他州的农业经济，同时改善水资源保护和水质。此外，新的创新牲畜管理计划，重点是科学，技术和管理技能，可以在全国各地的大学复制。 新的创新牲畜管理计划将提供可堆叠的证书和A.A.S.℃下 它还将制定衔接协议，使学生能够转入四年制院校并获得高级学位。该计划将提供包括两个新课程的课程，“饲料和放牧管理”和“堆肥和再生牲畜废物管理”，沿着修改现有的灌溉管理，动物饲料和动物科学课程，以及无人机和航空图像。毕业生将能够通过应用他们在数据驱动的精确技术中的知识和技能来承担管理责任1）牧草品种的种植，2）使用肥料和灌溉来提高饲料产量，3）牲畜废物管理和堆肥，4）使用无人机，GPS和GIS来监测放牧和饲料生产，以及5）评估动物性能。一个由当地畜牧业（包括家庭农场）代表组成的咨询委员会将指导方案的制定，以确保方案适当满足具体的管理需求。该项目的另一个组成部分将是开发一条将农业课程的高中生与该计划联系起来的途径。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。