STEM education is hot, and agriculture includes many connections to STEM lessons, activities, and careers. Participants in the 2019 Tech in Ag workshop, sponsored by EducationProjects.org, the Ohio State University, and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, learned about those connections.
OSU’s Dr. Alex Lindsey shared about Ohio’s agricultural background and current technology. Participants learned about precision ag through a drone presentation by 3D Aerial, an auto-steer tractor demo, and a sprayer demo by Delaware County Extension. Field work included assessing soil samples for pH, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium; checking soil ion exchange; and using a GreenSeeker handheld device to measure plant color and health.
Participants also toured Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Lab, did some vegetable grafting, and crunched some numbers to see how farmers make decisions about management practices.
The Growing Ohio unit has activities to help your students understand more about growing corn in Ohio.