Olds College Faculty Present at International Conference on Precision Agriculture

Three instructors from Olds College of Agriculture & Technology’s Werklund School of Agriculture Technology recently showcased their research at the 17th International Conference on Precision Agriculture, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from July 11 to 18, 2026.

Dr. Dan Karran, Bob Hoffos and Dr. Felippe H. S. Karp presented their joint research poster “Who is the Agricultural Practitioner of the Future?” The study focused on identifying and understanding the skills, character traits and career or educational backgrounds that jobs in the agricultural industry are seeking and will likely require going forward. They found that key job requirements included administrative skills, post-secondary education and data analytics. Another key finding was that although job titles aren’t necessarily changing, the skills and job requirements often are, with an increased emphasis on technological skills.

In addition, Dr. Karp gave an oral presentation on the On-Farm Precision Experimentation (OFPE) research methodology, covering initial project findings and feedback from producers and agronomists.

The instructors were also able to see Bachelor of Digital Agriculture student Zachary Komarnisky presenting his poster on using machine learning for agricultural data cleaning. Komarnisky was one of just a small handful of undergraduate students presenting at the conference – most of the researchers there were in graduate or postgraduate programs!

Another highlight for the group was touring the headquarters of SLC Agrícola, a large Brazilian agricultural producer, where they got a behind-the-scenes look at how the corporation is currently using technology and developing new innovations to manage roughly two million acres of farmland across the country. It was a fascinating opportunity to see what the present and near future of agriculture can look like.

Overall, they found the conference exciting and energizing, and it validated that the Bachelor of Digital Agriculture program is truly instilling Olds College students with the skills they need for careers in agriculture. Many conference topics directly mirrored the Bachelor of Digital Agriculture coursework, and several textbook authors from the program were in attendance.

Returning to campus, Hoffos plans to broaden the scope of the real-world examples used in his classes, incorporating more international perspectives and case studies. Dr. Karp found it interesting to hear that many of the practical challenges Olds College researchers face are shared by peers worldwide. Finally, Dr. Karran appreciated the introductions and connections with international agricultural networks and experts that the conference facilitated, and hopes to continue fostering those global relationships on behalf of Olds College.