Peiretti joined the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science on September 1, bringing with him more than a decade of hands-on experience in precision agriculture, agricultural engineering and international outreach. His appointment places him at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, a strategic location in the heart of the state’s row crop country, from which he will serve producers statewide. His Extension program will evaluate the cost-effectiveness and large-scale application of technologies spanning precision planting, nutrient management, and pest and plant disease control, among other areas of crop production.

The challenge Peiretti is arriving to address is one that resonates far beyond Tennessee. Farmers today are surrounded by claims about what precision technology can do: planters that adjust seeding rates on the fly, sensors that detect crop stress before the human eye can see it, and software platforms that promise to turn field variability into profit. Very little of that information, however, comes from independent trials conducted under local conditions. Peiretti has been explicit about the gap he intends to fill. According to the university’s announcement, he notes that growers are surrounded by claims about what precision technology can do, but very little of that information comes from Tennessee fields. His stated goal is to generate independent, local data so producers can decide which technologies actually pay off in their own operations, as well as get more out of the equipment they already own.

That second part of his mission, helping farmers extract more value from machinery they have already purchased, is often overlooked in discussions of agricultural innovation. Precision agriculture equipment represents a substantial capital investment, and its full capabilities are frequently underused in practice. An Extension specialist whose job is to bridge that gap between what a machine can do and what a farmer actually needs it to do occupies a distinctive position in the land-grant university system, where the Extension service exists precisely to translate research into practical guidance for the people who grow the state’s food and fiber.

Peiretti’s own trajectory gives him an unusually international perspective on the field. Before joining UTIA, he spent more than 11 years as a research scientist at Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology, known as INTA, the country’s national agricultural research agency. Based at the experiment station in Salta, in northwestern Argentina, he specialized in precision crop and livestock farming systems, work that exposed him to production environments and technological constraints quite different from those of the American Midwest or the Mississippi Delta region that shapes much of Tennessee agriculture.

In 2021, Peiretti began doctoral studies at Kansas State University, one of the leading institutions in the United States for biological and agricultural engineering. His doctoral research evaluated precision planters and involved designing sensor-based data collection systems for corn and soybean production, two crops whose planting operations are among the most technologically intensive steps in modern row crop farming. Precision planters, which control seed spacing, depth and population with remarkable accuracy, are a natural focal point for cost-benefit analysis, since they sit at the intersection of machinery investment, seed cost and yield response.

He completed his PhD in biological and agricultural engineering in 2025, and along the way earned graduate certificates in geographic information systems and applied statistics. Those credentials matter for the kind of work he is now undertaking. Geographic information systems allow researchers to map and analyze spatial variability across fields, which is the foundation of any site-specific management recommendation. Applied statistics provides the tools to determine whether an observed yield difference or input saving is a real effect of a technology or simply noise from weather, soil variation or chance. In a field where marketing claims often outpace the evidence, that statistical rigor is what separates an Extension program from a product demonstration.

Leadership at UTIA has framed the appointment as a significant addition to the institute’s capacity. Justin Rhinehart, dean of UT Extension, says Peiretti brings a unique skill set to the organization. As a member of the UTIA faculty, Rhinehart says, Dr. Peiretti will lead a statewide precision agriculture program focused on evaluating the latest row crop technologies by working directly with producers to ensure innovations are practical, effective and responsive to the needs of Tennessee’s diverse row crop industry. That emphasis on working directly with producers reflects the core philosophy of Extension work: technology is only valuable if it fits the realities of the farms expected to adopt it.

Shawn Hawkins, head of the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, has highlighted the collaborative dimension of the new role. According to Hawkins, Dr. Peiretti will collaborate with some of the university’s top experts in agronomy, soil science, weed science, plant pathology and entomology, and his contributions will expand the capabilities of the department while furthering the mission of UTIA statewide and beyond. That interdisciplinary structure is essential to evaluating precision technologies in a meaningful way. A variable-rate nitrogen recommendation, for example, cannot be judged by machinery performance alone; it must be assessed against soil science and crop physiology. Similarly, sensor-based disease detection depends on plant pathology expertise to interpret what the sensors are actually seeing.

For Tennessee’s row crop producers, the practical significance of the appointment lies in the promise of locally grounded answers. The state’s row crop industry includes corn, soybean, cotton and wheat production across diverse soils and growing conditions, and a technology that delivers a clear return in one region may fail in another. By conducting evaluations under Tennessee conditions and publishing the results through Extension channels, Peiretti’s program aims to give growers the independent evidence they need to make confident purchasing and management decisions. The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, which comprises the Herbert College of Agriculture, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension, carries out this translation of research into practice as part of its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach. More information about the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science is available at bess.tennessee.edu, and the latest UTIA row crop research can be found at utcrops.com. As precision agriculture continues to evolve at a rapid pace, the arrival of a specialist dedicated to testing what works, and what merely promises to work, offers Tennessee farmers something increasingly rare in the technology marketplace: answers rooted in their own fields.

Subject of Research: Appointment of a precision agriculture Extension specialist for row crop production in Tennessee

Article Title: UTIA appoints new precision agriculture Extension specialist for row crops

Article References: UTIA appoints new precision agriculture Extension specialist for row crops. (n.d.). Original publication

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: precision agriculture, row crops, Extension, University of Tennessee, José Peiretti, Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, Kansas State University, INTA, agricultural technology, cost-effectiveness, Tennessee growers

At the heart of these developments lies a $50-million investment funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), distributed to the University of Tennessee’s AgResearch network by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). This historic allocation reflects the state’s commitment to advancing precision agriculture and cutting-edge research methodologies. The rejuvenated West Tennessee center now offers advanced infrastructure, state-of-the-art equipment, and renovated laboratories, each designed to accelerate research outputs and improve outreach efforts to Tennessee’s producers.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony featured prominent figures including UT System President Randy Boyd, Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Legislation for TDA Carol Coley McDonald, and several university and community leaders. Their presence underscores the collaborative spirit needed to drive research innovations that address challenges such as crop yield optimization, pest management, and climate resilience in agricultural systems.

Among the new infrastructures is an eight-bedroom housing duplex, created specifically for short-term use by visiting scientists, graduate students, and other research personnel. Providing on-site accommodations enables researchers to deeply engage with the fieldwork integral to crops science, entomology, and weed science investigations. Additionally, a new headhouse offers specialized office spaces and a climate-controlled environment for horticultural teams managing the nearby UT Gardens, expanding the center’s capacity for controlled-environment research.

The functional footprint of the facility has been expanded further through the addition of two equipment sheds. These provide approximately 10,000 square feet of semi-enclosed shelter, safeguarding machinery essential for field trials and experimental operations. A new 1,800-square-foot greenhouse facilitates controlled studies on pesticide application, enabling precise experiments that quantify efficacy while minimizing environmental impacts—an essential aspect of sustainable crop management.

A pivotal component of the center’s modernization embraced the integration of precision agriculture technologies. Investments were made in two precision plot planters, which allow exacting control over seed placement to optimize germination rates and plant health. Complementing this, a research plot combine ensures harvest data accuracy, fundamental for validating experimental results with statistical rigor.

The deployment of an Avenger® plot sprayer and a lateral irrigation system equipped with precision watering technology highlights the center’s commitment to improving resource use efficiency. These tools enable exact delivery of pesticides and water, ensuring treatments are tailored to the specific needs of test plots, thereby reducing waste and environmental footprint while enhancing data fidelity.

Scott Stewart, director of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, emphasized that these advancements improve every research phase, from agronomy and crop physiology to entomology. By enhancing seed placement, harvest precision, pesticide application, and drought resilience of field trials, the facility strengthens its role as a vital resource for producers seeking sustainable solutions amid fluctuating environmental conditions.

Moreover, these enhancements reflect a broader strategic effort by UT AgResearch to modernize its network of centers across the state, creating hubs that leverage technology and data-driven approaches. The objective is to generate actionable insights that empower producers not only in Tennessee but across similar agro-ecological regions who face challenges related to climate variability, pest pressures, and the need for increased productivity.

Hongwei Xin, dean of UT AgResearch, highlighted how agriculture underpins Tennessee’s economy at a massive scale, with a $103 billion overall impact. This underscores the profound importance of supporting research infrastructure that can deliver innovations in crop sciences, irrigation, and horticulture, thereby sustaining and advancing the state’s agricultural excellence.

Crucially, the ARP funding has enabled this rapid transformation, exemplifying how targeted investment in scientific infrastructure can yield immediate improvements in research capacity. The outcomes are expected to accelerate the adoption of best practices in crop irrigation, pest management, and cultivar development, which have cascading benefits for food security, rural economies, and environmental stewardship.

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, encompassing the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch, and UT Extension, embodies a land-grant mission focused on real-world impact through education, research, and outreach. The upgraded West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center stands as a testament to this mission, providing cutting-edge facilities to generate real-life solutions for agriculture in Tennessee and beyond.

For further details about ARP funding and modernization projects across Tennessee’s agricultural research centers, interested parties can explore resources available at agresearch.tennessee.edu/agrec-modernization-in-progress. The ongoing investment in precision agriculture tools, infrastructure, and personnel accommodations signals a new era of data-rich, technology-enhanced research poised to address 21st-century agricultural challenges.

Subject of Research: Agricultural research infrastructure modernization and precision agriculture technologies.

Article Title: University of Tennessee Advances Crop Research with $50 Million Investment from American Rescue Plan

News Publication Date: Information not specified.

Web References:
– https://agresearch.tennessee.edu/agrec-modernization-in-progress
– https://utia.tennessee.edu/

Image Credits: Photo by T. Cronin, courtesy UTIA.

Keywords: Agriculture, Crop production, Crop irrigation, Crop science, Horticulture, Crops.