José Peiretti brings more than a decade of expertise to Tennessee
JACKSON, Tenn. – Precision agriculture technologies can help producers maximize land productivity and make informed management decisions. To assist Tennessee growers in determining which of these innovations are most beneficial for their individual operations, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) has appointed José Peiretti as its new row crop precision agriculture management Extension specialist.
Joining the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science on September 1, Peiretti brings more than a decade of experience in precision agriculture, agricultural engineering and international outreach. His Extension program will evaluate the cost-effectiveness and large-scale application of technologies for precision planting, nutrient management, pest and plant disease control and more. Working statewide, Peiretti will be based at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson.
“Growers are surrounded by claims about what precision technology can do, but very little of that information comes from Tennessee fields,” says Peiretti. “My 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.”
Prior to joining UTIA, Peiretti spent more than 11 years as a research scientist at Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), the country’s national agricultural research agency. Based at the experiment station in Salta, he specialized in precision crop and livestock farming systems. In 2021, he began doctoral studies at Kansas State University, evaluating precision planters and designing sensor-based data collection systems for corn and soybean production. He completed his PhD in biological and agricultural engineering in 2025, along with graduate certificates in geographic information systems and applied statistics.
Dean of UT Extension Justin Rhinehart says Peiretti brings a unique skill set to UTIA. “As a member of UTIA faculty, 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.”
“Dr. Peiretti will collaborate with some of the university’s top experts in agronomy, soil science, weed science, plant pathology and entomology,” says Shawn Hawkins, head of the UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science. “His contributions will expand the capabilities of our department and further the mission of UTIA statewide and beyond.”
To learn more about the department, visit bess.tennessee.edu. For the latest UTIA row crop research, visit utcrops.com.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.