Critical Actions
Critical actions are necessary if OSU Agriculture is to accomplish its mission and address strategic priorities.
- Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset and Expand OSU Agriculture’s Resource Base
OSU Ag Research and OSU Extension are both heavily reliant on funding from the state of Oklahoma, which has significantly eroded over the past two decades. Creating impactful programs in the years ahead will require identifying new sources of revenue. Adopting an entrepreneurial mindset and being open to strategic opportunities that expand the resource base are keys to enabling OSU Agriculture to conduct more research and offer more programs that serve stakeholders. Implicit in this positioning is a recognition that state funding does not imply all services are free and lack of state funding does not remove OSU Agriculture’s obligation to find ways to deliver research and educational programs economically. Expanding OSU Agriculture’s resource base implies incentivizing grants, industry contracts, fee-for-service programs, micro-credentialing and active engagement. It also advocates partnering with donors, foundations, commodity organizations, industry and the legislature to leverage existing state and federal investments. Partnerships play a crucial role in this strategic action. By collaborating with diverse stakeholders, OSU Agriculture can pool resources, share expertise and amplify its reach. Partnerships can lead to innovative solutions and joint ventures that enhance the quality and scope of research and educational programs and ensure their sustainability. Leveraging partnerships allow OSU Agriculture to tap into new funding streams, access cutting-edge technologies, and create a more resilient and impactful agricultural community.
- Invest in Fundamental and Emerging Areas of Science and Technology
To successfully push the frontiers of knowledge, create innovative solutions for Oklahoma citizens, and attract grants and industry engagement, OSU Agriculture must invest in emerging areas of science and support scientific innovation. Over the next five years, OSU Agriculture will add capacity in the following fields:
- Artificial intelligence: AI can increase productivity in agriculture by optimizing crop yields, improving pest identification and control, and enhance resource management through predictive analytics and machine learning.
- Nutritional and health consequences resulting from agricultural production (Food as Health): Healthcare costs associated with dietary-related diseases have risen dramatically in recent decades. Understanding how agricultural practices impact the nutritional quality of food and the effects on human health can promote healthier food systems.
- Molecular plant and animal breeding: Advances in marker-assisted breeding, gene-editing, artificial insemination, embryo transfer and other modern molecular breeding technologies can lead to the development of crops and livestock with improved traits such as disease resistance, higher yield and better nutritional profiles.
- Digital agriculture, precision agriculture and big data: Using sensors, Global Positioning System, the Internet of Things, drones and related technologies can increase efficiency and sustainability by providing more precise data for managing farms and ranches, reducing waste, optimizing the use of inputs and rapid identification of pests, disease and weeds.
OSU Agriculture must also embrace fundamental basic research that lays the groundwork for developing practical agriculture applications and positioning the organization as a source of innovative solutions. Studies on soil microbes, genetics and water management can boost productivity and soil health. Pest-resistance research aims to reduce pesticide use. Understanding genes helps create drought-resistant and efficient crops and livestock. Research on rangeland and forestry improves land use and biodiversity. Creating basic and fundamental insights can position OSU Agriculture as a leader in addressing worldwide challenges. - Increase Research and Extension Output and Impact
Increasing research and Extension output and impact and communicating public value is crucial for advancing OSU Agriculture priorities. Several actions will be pursued to achieve these outcomes:
- Invest in customer relationship management systems. CRM systems can catalog specific interests and needs of different audiences, allowing personalized and effective communication to keep stakeholders informed about new research findings, Extension resources, relevant upcoming events and more. CRM systems improve the quality and relevance of Extension services and programs by logging and benchmarking interactions and inquiries.
- Enhance OSU Agriculture’s digital presence. Stakeholders expect timely and accessible content delivered in video and audio formats, in addition to text, and expect them to be available via social media channels. Resources will be aligned to enable personalized content delivery, tracking and engagement in modern media formats.
- Promote the creation of digital tools and decision aids to serve stakeholders. Develop websites and apps that provide real-time data on weather, soil and economic conditions, and crop health can help farmers make informed decisions. OSU Agriculture will create websites with interactive tools that operationalize and implement models to assist with cropping decisions, pest management, and financial and risk-management decisions that can support farmers and ranchers in their daily operations. Continued development of the OSU Agriculture AI Extension Bot will complement individualized support and interactions occurring at the local level.
- Modernize Extension fact sheets. Ensure that Extension fact sheets and resources are optimized for search engines and AI platforms to increase their visibility and usage. Create concise summaries and visually appealing infographics of research findings to make complex information more accessible and shareable. Reduce bureaucracy and sludge to improve the efficiency of information creation and delivery. Implement mechanisms to keep Extension materials up to date with the latest research and best practices to maintain relevance and usefulness. Creating and implementing feedback systems where users can suggest improvements or request new topics can help tailor resources to the community’s needs.
- Increase Research Citations and Views. Encourage publication of articles in reputable, high-impact factor journals. Publishing research in open access journals can increase visibility and citations, as these articles are freely available to a wider audience. Adopt systematic approaches to publicize discoveries and new research findings. The publication of review articles in high-quality journals can increase citations and author reputation. Fostering and developing collaborative networks with other universities, research institutions and industry stakeholders can increase faculty reputations and enhance the reach and impact of research outputs.
By leveraging these strategies, OSU Agriculture can significantly enhance its research and Extension impact, benefiting the agricultural community and contributing to sustainable and innovative agricultural practices. - Expand Experiential Learning Opportunities
OSU Agriculture has a comparative advantage in providing experiential learning opportunities to on-campus students, Extension and off-campus audiences. To expand experiential learning within OSU Agriculture, investments must be made to enhance facilities and opportunities like the OSU Student Farm and animal units, increase staff support and integrate practical experiences into the curriculum. This involves activities supporting undergraduate and graduate research and project-based learning incorporating applied projects into coursework. Also, encouraging industry collaboration by bringing industry partners into the classroom will provide students with real-world challenges and projects, develop service-learning projects, and expand capstone courses and internships. Study abroad programs enhance experiential learning at OSU Agriculture by providing students with international agricultural experience, cultural exchange, research opportunities, networking and language skills. Additionally, supporting student organizations and leadership development, hiring 4-H specialists and creating outreach programs to attract youth are essential. Equipping students with hands-on and data analytics skills will prepare them for future careers in agriculture.