The Smart Farm Challenge course, AGRON 400, was developed and implemented for agronomy and agriculture engineering undergraduate students at Kansas State University for hands-on learning experiences with precision agricultural technologies. This course is part of developing Precision Agronomy Teaching Hub (PATH) for experiential learning techniques. This innovative course, funded by a CHS Foundation grant, focused on applying sensor data, photogrammetry (from drones and satellites), yield monitor calibration and industry visits in real-world crop production scenarios. The semester-long challenge emphasized collaborative problem-solving and decision-making to balance economic and environmental goals.

Student engagement in the course was evident, with over 50% of participants reporting increased confidence in using precision agriculture tools like drones and yield monitors. Course reflections highlighted that more than 66% of students found drone-based data collection and yield monitor calibration among the most impactful components of the course. Students also reported that the hands-on nature enhanced their understanding of data integration and decision-making, with 100% indicating they could apply the learned concepts to their future farming or agronomic careers.

Students identified a soybean field on the Agronomy Learning Farm and developed data layers for making decisions during the semester. Collecting such data emphasized the value of understanding GPS and satellite errors in data accuracy and suggested adding in-depth discussions on prescription building and multi-layer data analysis, including NDVI, OM, and EC. The interactive, team-based structure of the course encouraged critical thinking and allowed the development of practical solutions to address challenges of field variability.