Module 1: Introduction to Precision Agriculture and Smart Farming

• Definition and core concepts of Precision Agriculture (PA) and Smart Farming.
• Historical development and evolution of PA.
• The "4Rs" of nutrient stewardship: Right source, right rate, right time, right place.
• Benefits of PA: Economic, environmental, social.
• Challenges and limitations of adopting PA.
• Practical session: Discussing real-world examples of precision agriculture applications and their impact on farm profitability and sustainability.

Module 2: Geospatial Technologies in Precision Agriculture

• Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and GNSS: Principles, accuracy, and agricultural applications.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for farm mapping and data visualization.
• Creating farm boundaries, field zones, and management units in GIS.
• Remote sensing: Satellite imagery, aerial imagery, and their use in PA.
• Understanding different map types in PA: Yield maps, soil maps, plant vigor maps.
• Practical session: Using QGIS or a similar open-source GIS software to create a basic farm map and delineate management zones.

Module 3: Sensors and Data Collection in the Field

• Types of sensors in agriculture: Soil sensors (moisture, nutrient), plant sensors (NDVI, chlorophyll), weather stations.
• Proximal sensing vs. remote sensing.
• Data acquisition methods: Manual, automated, drone-based.
• Variable rate application controllers and their role in precision farming.
• Data standards and formats for agricultural sensors.
• Practical session: Interpreting data from various agricultural sensors and discussing their practical applications in decision-making.

Module 4: Data Management and Analysis for Precision Farming

• Principles of agricultural data management: Collection, storage, organization.
• Data cleaning, validation, and integration from multiple sources.
• Basic statistical analysis of farm data for identifying trends and variability.
• Geospatial analysis techniques for precision farming (e.g., interpolation, zonal statistics).
• Data visualization and reporting for farm managers.
• Practical session: Importing and analyzing a simulated yield dataset in a GIS environment to identify high and low yielding areas.

Module 5: Variable Rate Technologies and Prescription Maps

• Understanding spatial variability within fields.
• Creating prescription maps for variable rate application of inputs (e.g., fertilizer, seed).
• Types of variable rate controllers and their functionality.
• Implementing variable rate seeding, fertilization, and irrigation.
• Economic justification for variable rate technology.
• Practical session: Developing a prescription map for variable rate nitrogen application based on a simulated soil nutrient map.

Module 6: Precision Irrigation and Water Management

• Importance of efficient water use in agriculture.
• Water requirements of different crops at various growth stages.
• Soil moisture sensors and their deployment.
• Designing and implementing precision irrigation systems (e.g., drip, center pivot with VRT).
• Using weather data and crop models for irrigation scheduling.
• Practical session: Analyzing soil moisture sensor data and making recommendations for precision irrigation scheduling.

Module 7: Smart Pest, Disease, and Weed Management

• Precision scouting techniques: Drone imagery, remote sensors for early detection.
• Mapping pest and disease hotspots.
• Variable rate application of pesticides and herbicides.
• Decision support systems for integrated pest and disease management.
• Biocontrol and sustainable solutions in conjunction with precision technologies.
• Practical session: Interpreting drone imagery for identifying weed patches or early signs of disease in a crop field.

Module 8: Robotics, Automation, and Drones in Agriculture

• Introduction to agricultural robotics: Autonomous tractors, robotic harvesters.
• Applications of drones in agriculture: Aerial imagery, spraying, crop health monitoring.
• Automation in livestock farming (e.g., automated feeders, milking robots).
• Challenges and opportunities of adopting farm automation.
• Future trends in agricultural robotics.
• Practical session: Reviewing videos and case studies of agricultural robots and drones in action, discussing their benefits and limitations.

Module 9: Farm Management Software and Decision Support Systems

• Overview of commercial farm management software platforms.
• Integrating various data streams into a centralized system.
• Utilizing dashboards and analytics for holistic farm monitoring.
• Decision support systems for planting, harvesting, and input management.
• Record-keeping and compliance using digital tools.
• Practical session: Exploring the features of a sample farm management software interface and practicing basic data input and report generation.

Module 10: Economic Benefits and Implementation of Precision Agriculture

• Cost-benefit analysis for various precision agriculture technologies.
• Return on Investment (ROI) calculations for PA adoption.
• Developing a phased implementation plan for PA on a farm.
• Case studies of successful PA implementation and lessons learned.
• Future outlook for precision agriculture and emerging technologies.
• Practical session: Performing a simple cost-benefit analysis for implementing variable rate seeding on a hypothetical farm.

Requirements:

·       Participants should be reasonably proficient in English.

·       Applicants must live up to Armstrong Global Institute admission criteria.

Terms and Conditions

1. Discounts: Organizations sponsoring Four Participants will have the 5th attend Free

2. What is catered for by the Course Fees: Fees cater for all requirements for the training – Learning materials, Lunches, Teas, Snacks and Certification. All participants will additionally cater for their travel and accommodation expenses, visa application, insurance, and other personal expenses.

3. Certificate Awarded: Participants are awarded Certificates of Participation at the end of the training.

4. The program content shown here is for guidance purposes only. Our continuous course improvement process may lead to changes in topics and course structure.

5. Approval of Course: Our Programs are NITA Approved. Participating organizations can therefore claim reimbursement on fees paid in accordance with NITA Rules.

Booking for Training

Simply send an email to the Training Officer on training@armstrongglobalinstitute.com and we will send you a registration form. We advise you to book early to avoid missing a seat to this training.

Or call us on +254720272325 / +254725012095 / +254724452588

Payment Options

We provide 3 payment options, choose one for your convenience, and kindly make payments at least 5 days before the Training start date to reserve your seat:

1. Groups of 5 People and Above – Cheque Payments to: Armstrong Global Training & Development Center Limited should be paid in advance, 5 days to the training.

2. Invoice: We can send a bill directly to you or your company.

3. Deposit directly into Bank Account (Account details provided upon request)

Cancellation Policy

1. Payment for all courses includes a registration fee, which is non-refundable, and equals 15% of the total sum of the course fee.

2. Participants may cancel attendance 14 days or more prior to the training commencement date.

3. No refunds will be made 14 days or less before the training commencement date. However, participants who are unable to attend may opt to attend a similar training course at a later date or send a substitute participant provided the participation criteria have been met.

Tailor Made Courses

This training course can also be customized for your institution upon request for a minimum of 5 participants. You can have it conducted at our Training Centre or at a convenient location. For further inquiries, please contact us on Tel: +254720272325 / +254725012095 / +254724452588 or Email training@armstrongglobalinstitute.com

Accommodation and Airport Transfer

Accommodation and Airport Transfer is arranged upon request and at extra cost. For reservations contact the Training Officer on Email: training@armstrongglobalinstitute.com or on Tel: +254720272325 / +254725012095 / +254724452588