Digital agriculture program creates new careers for physics grads

TerraByte Research Term — Left to right: Dr. Christopher Bidinosti, Joe Hrzich, Chen-Yi Liu, Laura Didyk, Dr. Michael Beck, have all been part of the TerraByte research team. Not pictured: Brayden Yarish.

If you picture a career in agriculture, physics probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But as computers and technology rapidly change how we farm, a research team at The University of Winnipeg has found an unexpected niche in the growing industry of digital agriculture.

“It’s just so non-obvious to people that a physicist would have any business working in this field,” said UWinnipeg Physics Professor, Dr. Christopher Bidinosti, “but they are, and they’re doing really well.”

Digital agriculture – using computers, technology, and algorithms in the ag industry – is common. Farmers already use tools like GPS and smart technology to enhance their operations. But using drones to spray fields, satellites to identify weeds, and even using AI or machine learning could soon be a regular part of a farmer’s day.

Click HERE to read the full story...