Jason Ward

• Jan. 2013 – Present, Assistant Extension Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
• Nov. 2008 – Dec. 2012, Extension Associate, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
• Nov. 2004 – Nov. 2008, Research Technician, USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory, Auburn, AL.
• Jan. 2003 – Nov. 2004, Graduate Research Assistant, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Providing engineering-based support and outreach to Mississippi’s agricultural industry. Stakeholders include producers, processors, agri-business, Extension personnel, and consumers across the state and region. Primary impact areas include post-harvest management, precision agriculture, and optimization of production practices, systems, and machinery to increase sustainability.

• Post-harvest Management: After all the work that goes into producing a crop, such as land preparation, planting, applying protectants, and harvesting, what happens after harvest can have a large effect on a producer’s bottom line. The ultimate goal is to deliver a product that meets quality standards to the next link in the processing and value chain or directly to the end user. Post-harvest management can include drying, handling, storage, and processing. Commodities include specialty, specifically sweet potato, grain, forage, and energy crops.
• Precision Agriculture: Precision agriculture is leveraging technology so that producers collect information, make decisions, and manage production better. Using spatial technologies such as GPS and geographic information systems (GIS) farmers’ fields can be managed at a finer scale. Profitability, productivity, and sustainability can be improved. Precision agriculture also involves the specific sensors, electronics, and components that are combined to collect data, communicate, and control systems on modern machinery. Under a broader definition, precision agriculture can include applied instrumentation to make better decisions across all types of production systems.

Peer Reviewed Journal Publications

• Ward, J.K., J.D. Davis, and C.S. Ryals. 2013. Utilization of Degraded Woodchips in a Cogeneration System for Disaster Recovery. Transactions of the ASABE 56(1). St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
• Ward, J.K. and J.D. Davis. 2013. A System to Assess Grain Bag Storage Internal Environment. Transactions of the ASABE. Accepted. St. Joseph, Mich.: ASABE.
• Ward, J.K. 2013. Estimation of Continuous Flow Grain Dyer Operating Expenses. Mississippi State University Extension Service. Publication No. 2747.
• Ward, J.K., B. Harp, M.H. Willcutt. 2010. Construction of a Low-Cost Coffer Dam for Grain Bin Rescue. Mississippi State University Extension Service. Publication No. 2598.

• ASABE New Faces of Engineering 2010
• Alpha Epsilon Engineering Honor Society