Course Outline:

Module 1: Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing in Agriculture

• Overview of GIS and RS concepts

• Spatial data types and sources (vector, raster)

• Role of geospatial technologies in agriculture

• Setting up GIS software and environment
  Case Study: Mapping agricultural land-use types in a selected region

Module 2: Data Collection and GPS Integration for Agriculture

• Field data collection using GPS and mobile apps

• Importing and processing GPS data in GIS

• Integrating field observations with remote sensing data

• Quality assurance of collected geospatial data
  Project: Creating a geo-referenced farm boundary and crop plot database

Module 3: Satellite Imagery for Crop Monitoring and Classification

• Satellite imagery types: Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS, etc.

• Image acquisition, pre-processing, and enhancement

• NDVI and other vegetation indices for crop health

• Supervised and unsupervised land cover classification
  Case Study: Classifying cropland and detecting crop stress in drought-affected areas

Module 4: Land Suitability Analysis Using GIS

• Land evaluation principles and FAO guidelines

• Overlay analysis with soil, slope, and rainfall data

• Weighted overlay and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA)

• Generating land suitability maps for specific crops
  Project: Mapping suitable areas for maize production in semi-arid regions

Module 5: Soil and Water Resource Mapping

• Mapping soil types, pH, and fertility zones

• Analyzing hydrology, drainage, and watershed boundaries

• Mapping irrigation potential and water availability

• Integrating RS-derived indices for water management
  Case Study: Identifying areas with high irrigation potential for rice farming

Module 6: Monitoring Agricultural Drought and Climate Risks

• Drought indices and satellite-based drought monitoring

• Temporal image analysis for rainfall and moisture trends

• GIS tools for early warning and climate variability mapping

• Integration of climatic data in agricultural planning
  Project: Drought risk assessment for rainfed farming zones

Module 7: Precision Agriculture and Yield Estimation with GIS/RS

• Introduction to precision agriculture principles

• Use of drones, sensors, and high-resolution imagery

• Spatial variability in soil and crop yields

• Zonal management for fertilizer and pesticide optimization
  Case Study: Yield prediction using vegetation indices in a large-scale farm

Module 8: Agroecological Zoning and Crop Modeling

• Agroecological zone mapping using GIS

• Linking climate, elevation, and soil data

• Use of RS in crop simulation and growth models

• Spatial decision support systems (SDSS)
  Project: Agroecological zoning for climate-resilient crop selection

Module 9: GIS for Agricultural Policy and Planning

• Spatial analysis for food security monitoring

• Mapping market access and agri-infrastructure

• Land tenure and land use change analysis

• GIS in agricultural extension and stakeholder engagement
  Case Study: GIS-based planning for a national agricultural subsidy program

Module 10: Final Project Presentation and Integration of Tools

• Recap of all tools and methods covered

• Individual or group project development

• Presentation and peer/instructor feedback

• Discussion on institutional integration and scaling
  Capstone Project: Design a GIS-based agricultural resource management system for a selected district