Educating Technicians to Use Precision Technology for Innovative Livestock Management

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六个县的农村地区。牲畜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，牲畜养殖户和牧场主必须找到最小化饲料成本的方法。一种新兴的饲料成本和可持续性技术方法是创新牲畜管理。这种方法包括使用复杂技术，如精确灌溉和放牧和饲料生产的地理空间监测，以最大限度地提高饲料产量。此外，创新牲畜管理包括堆肥技术，用于管理牲畜废物，同时保持和改善水质，提高环境可持续性，并生产可进一步提高盈利能力的适销堆肥。该项目将支持犹他州首个创新畜牧管理项目的开发。通过本课程，学生将学习创新的牲畜管理方法，并获得相关的技术技能，以提高牲畜生产的经济成功、盈利能力和可持续性。毕业生将能够运用这些技能来管理大型工业牧场运营或小型家庭农场。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，以科学、技术和管理技能为重点的创新牲畜管理项目，可能会在全国各地的大学推广。新的创新畜牧管理项目将提供可堆叠的证书和A.A.S.学位。它还将制定衔接协议，使学生能够转学到四年制大学并获得高级学位。该项目将提供一门课程，其中包括两门新课程：“牧草和放牧管理”和“堆肥和再生牲畜废物管理”，以及对灌溉管理、动物饲料和动物科学、无人机和航空图像等现有课程的修改。毕业生将能够通过将他们在数据驱动的精确技术方面的知识和技能应用于以下方面来承担管理职责：1)种植饲料品种，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。一个由包括家庭农场在内的当地畜牧业代表组成的咨询委员会将指导项目的制定，以确保其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途径，将农业课程的高中生与该计划联系起来。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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.