AP311 Precision Agriculture and Technological Advances

DESCRIPTION

The unit provides basic guidelines and recommendations for implementing precision farming worldwide. Students will  develop an understanding of how precision agriculture is applied in large-scale agriculture, community agriculture, and  diversified farming. The unit provides site-specific information from a variety of information sources for planning, planting,  growing, and harvesting agricultural crops. The emerging concept of how control system theory is used to formulate  systematic methods for more effective precision crop production is explored.

RELEVANT COURSES

Bachelor of Agribusiness

Elective unit

CREDIT POINTS

10

DELIVERY MODE

On campus

PREREQUISITE OR CO-REQUISITE

Nil

UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES

LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of precision agriculture and its major components including yield monitoring, soil sampling on site-specific basis, and variable rate applications

LO2 Interpret the environmental benefits associated with the use of precision agriculture practices

LO3 Critique the importance and current state of precision agriculture

LO4 Develop an understanding of intelligent machinery, emerging developments, and future technology in the field of production agriculture

CONTENT

  • Precision Agriculture: An overview
  • The role of technology in the emergence and current status of precision agriculture
  • Sensing technology for Precision crop farming
  • Managing data in precision Agriculture
  • Intelligent Agriculture Machinery and Field Robots
  • Precision agriculture in large scale mechanized farming
  • Precision Agriculture in Australia: sensing technology and application
  • Site specific nutrient and water management
  • Precision Agriculture and agro-ecological benefits
  • Site specific biotic stress management
  • Site specific management of important crop plants in Australia
  • Good Agriculture Practices and future requirements

ASSESSMENT METHODS

  1. Quiz – 20%
  2. Group Research Project – 40%
  3. Final Project Report  – 40%

PRESCRIBED READINGS

Zhang, Q. (2021). Precision Agriculture Technology for Crop Farming. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis Limited

Check with the lecturer each semester before purchasing any textbooks