Skip to Main Content

Purdue Extension: Digital Agriculture Curriculum

As more farms adopt precision agriculture technology, the industry will need people with proven skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), data science, programming, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and equipment.

Purdue Extension’s Digital Agriculture Curriculum prepares participants for early jobs in agriculture through experiential learning in precision agriculture technology.

Curriculum Overview

Drone.jpg

The curriculum is designed for:

  • High school juniors/seniors
  • Community/junior college students
  • Career center patrons
  • Early career professionals

Units include:

  • Soil Nutrient Management
  • Plant Nutrient Management
  • Integrated Pest Management
  • Applied Information Technologies
  • Data Management
  • Precision Agronomy
  • Precision Equipment
  • UAV Technologies

Facilitator resources include:

  • Detailed instructor manuals with required equipment lists
  • 90+ student activities
  • Comprehensive PowerPoint slides
  • Educator training workshop
  • Support from Purdue Extension Digital Agriculture specialists

Core Competencies 

Those completing the course will:

  • Understand basic soil science, interpret soil tests, plant science, and plant tissue tests, and generate fertilizer recommendations.
  • Pilot UAVs for remote sensing and imagery interpretation.
  • Employ various sensing platforms, computer programming languages and internet of things (IoT) technologies to create basic software and agronomically useful devices.
  • Implement data management practices to understand, clean, analyze, visualize, interpret and summarize data using various software.
  • Learn to work with a GIS to develop variable rate technology prescriptions.

Sign up at cvent.me/N9KDNn or contact us for more information!


Austin Pearson, agriculture and natural resources educator,
           Purdue Extension – Tipton County, 765-675-1177, pearsona@purdue.edu 
John Scott, Digital Agriculture Purdue Extension coordinator, 765-894-1694, scott42@purdue.edu

Featured Stories

Clover in Hand
Wells County - Admin Assistant Application form

Wells County - Admin Assistant Application form

Read More
farm with bins
November-December 2025 Newton County Extension Newsletter

November-December 2025 Newton County Extension Newsletter

Read More
Capital Comments
Looking Back 25 Years

I’ve been writing this column once a month for 25 years. Last month marked the 300th...

Read More
Janna Beckerman inspects arborvitae
Resources for Plant Identification

Do you know your plants? Can you name all the flowers and trees in your landscape, or all the...

Read More
Purdue
Area 2 Pesticide Applicator Program

Private and commercial applicators have three opportunities to obtain credits on Thursday,...

Read More
Purdue
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Workshop

Commercial applicators have the opportunity to earn credits for multiple pesticide applicator...

Read More
To Top