Attracting New Talent to Replace Old Agronomists like Me
Agronomy & Pest Management
Bill Burdine
Agronomy Specialist
Mississippi State University
Verona
Abstract
Agronomy graduates from Mississippi State University have a 100% employment rate within six months of graduation indicating a supply and demand shortfall. The main objective for this program, Developing Future Ag Leaders, is to recruit talented young people for agronomic related careers. The project has three activities: 1. Agronomy Camps, 2. Science Experiment Contest, and 3. Agronomy Bowl. Target audience is youth 10 to 18 years old and camps are held at various locations across Mississippi. Topics include production principles of major row crops, soil health, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Attendees receive classroom and in-field training. The Science Experiment contest lets youth be the ‘Scientist’, devise their own experiment, and conduct trials at home. Kits provided include pots, data collection book, soybean seed, and weather station. Youth develop hypothesis, design the experiment, conduct the trial, develop conclusions, and submit a final report for judging. The top six placings receive prizes and participation rate is approximately 100 youth per year. The Agronomy Bowl improves knowledge in crop production and related disciplines. All three activities help increase youth interest in plant sciences and science in general. Day Camp evaluations used a pre/post survey (n=22). Assessments show students agree/strongly agree (91%) with: learned a lot about plants, agronomy is interesting, UAV’s are interesting, and science is interesting. Assessment also shows students agree/strongly agree with desiring to learn more about agronomy (82%), insects (86%), other sciences (68%), and UAV’s (95%). The science experiments are having the greatest impact in drawing talented young people to careers in the agricultural sciences. Projects are state plan-of-work programs and have garnered attention from several land-grant universities for duplication.
Authors: Bill Burdine, Darrell Banks, Gina Wills
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Bill Burdine Agronomy Specialist, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 38879
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Darrell Banks Agent, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 39735
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Gina Wills Agent, Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 38652