Montana State names endowed chair in precision agriculture

BOZEMAN - As Montana State University's College of Agriculture develops new programming to continue training the agricultural scientists and producers of the future, a new endowed chair will oversee research and teaching focused on incorporating novel technologies into farming and ranching practices.

Paul Nugent was named the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Endowed Chair in Precision Agriculture earlier this year and assumed the role in August. Nugent joined the MSU faculty in 2022 after a private gift to the university facilitated the launch of a new precision agriculture program, which includes several new faculty, the development of new courses and an eventual minor.

"Our new precision agriculture program is a great example of MSU's land-grant mission in action. Through private-public partnerships, we are addressing the needs of Montana agricultural producers," said Sreekala Bajwa, MSU's vice president for agriculture and dean of the College of Agriculture. "The program started with and is supported by multiple private gifts, including the transformative gift of an endowed chair by the MacMillans. I am excited to have Dr. Nugent as our first endowed chair. He is already engaging with constituent groups across the state in developing an integrated research and educational program that will benefit producers in Montana and the region."

The endowed chair - a position established and supported by a specific philanthropic gift - was made possible through a $10 million gift to MSU in 2022. Half of that amount was earmarked for the position, with funds also allocated to support 4-H youth development programs through MSU Extension and a new scholarship fund for students in MSU's Dan Scott Ranch Management Program, an interdisciplinary degree program in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences.

Nugent has a long history with MSU. He received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering in 2005, 2008 and 2016. His research concentrates on remote sensing, data processing, thermal imaging and optics, and he is currently researching how to integrate those technologies to optimize agricultural yields while reducing inputs, such as water and fertilizers. He also serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Technology Education and the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences.

Nugent is a faculty collaborator in the interdepartmental MSU Optical Technology Center, which was established in 1992 to promote research opportunities and educate students in the fields of optics and photonics - two industries that have seen rapid growth in recent decades, both nationally and in Montana. The center facilitates research for students and faculty alike across MSU's departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Physics and more. It also builds on an emerging industry in Montana that is rife with opportunities for application and growth.

"Part of the potential really is Montana itself," said Nugent. "We have a really strong optics industry in Montana, and so we're in a good position because of that. We have this opportunity to work with producers and really look at, what do they need and how do we develop and adapt tools to be able to fit their needs?"

Agricultural producers are actively looking for ways to maximize food production while using land and natural resources as efficiently and responsibly as possible, Nugent said. Precision agriculture is incorporating new tools to tailor activities like crop production and grazing so that they use space and costly inputs in more sustainable ways.

MSU scientists have been incorporating precision approaches into their explorations for decades, including projects that use predictive modeling to suggest tailored crop management approaches; incorporate remote sensing to measure soil acidity across fields; explore precision livestock management; and develop new ways to control pests such as wheat stem sawfly. Many of those projects involve faculty from across MSU's academic disciplines, including researchers in the Norm Absjornson College of Engineering. Nugent noted that the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship will also be a key partner in shaping and fostering innovations in agriculture.

"A lot of what needs to happen is the development of new businesses here in Montana that are either service providers or launching new technologies that are developed here at MSU," he said. "I think there's a lot of entrepreneurship opportunities for students, and I see a lot of interest in that."

As inquiries and programming in precision agriculture blossom at MSU, Nugent also said that it provides an ideal environment for preparing students with technological literacy and the chance to follow their curiosity.

"We're creating an opportunity for students to be able to go into the industry with knowledge that they need, whether they're going onto farms, into consulting or really anywhere within the industry," he said. "Our goal is to get them hands-on experience with these technologies so that they go in with knowledge of having worked with them."

Nugent said that agricultural producers across Montana have shown interest in adopting precision practices, and that there are many ways for them to do that. Contrary to what many people believe, he said, precision agriculture doesn't have to involve expensive technology or an overhaul of existing practices; there are approachable ways to integrate more data analysis and new strategies. At several of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station's annual field days this summer, Nugent presented ongoing precision research and fielded dozens of questions from producers, current MSU students and interested community members.

With the continued development of new technologies and advancements in artificial intelligence, Nugent said that now is the ideal time for Montana and MSU to continue advancing as leaders in the field of precision agriculture. He said the state and university are poised to have a major impact on an evolving field with great potential.

"Something that I am excited about with this new program is that, being housed within the College of Agriculture, we have a very good focus on the land-grant mission, working with producers and bringing benefit to the community with the research we're doing," said Nugent. "When you're researching technologies, sometimes it can be easy to forget about the end user. We have an opportunity to look at how we can make technology both user-friendly and economically viable."