Geographic Information (GIS) tools and a wealth of information resources are becoming available at less cost, resolution and quality, creating opportunities for crop managers to achieve more effective farm management, reduce operating costs and improve services for producers.

This course will help participants make the most out of these resources, and apply them in their everyday crop management tasks. Different GIS environments are explored, including GeoAgro GIS, Google Earth, and GIS in smartphones/mobile devices.

Who should attend:

Agricultural retailers, Consultants, Producers, and representatives for an agricultural business, educational institution or government agency.  This course is aimed for two groups of users:

• Users who have not previously used GIS - they'll be able to have a hands-on experience to create their farm layout and start using it for their daily farm management.
• Users who are currently using GIS for Crop Management, may find in this course simpler options to manage their information, share information with their team and producers, and reduce their software costs.

Goals

At the end of the course, Participants will be able to make the most out of these resources, applying them in a number of farm management operations, such as:

• Creating the farm layout, using imagery, topo maps, soil survey (US users), and other available land resources.
• Create and edit geographic data to accurately represent your farm information.
• Share your farm information with your collaborators, producers or send to your equipment.
• Collecting data from the field with GPS, or planning field visits for directed sampling or scouting exact locations.
• Navigating maps in the field, with a GPS enabled smartphone or notebook, to review limiting factors or other site specific decisions.
• Carrying out common crop management tasks such as record keeping, grid sampling, creating variable rate prescriptions, or analyzing yields.

1. Introduction – Setting up your own land/farm project

• Objectives/overview of the course
• GIS basics: What is a GIS? What is georeferenced information? 
• Why are geospatial technologies important for farm management? - GIS, GPS, Remote Sensing, Guided equipment, and other technologies.
• How is information projected in a map? / What type of data is used in a farm GIS?/ Standards used in GeoAgro GIS
• Create a Project, download data for your State, and locate your farm

2. Creating your land/farm layers 

• Importing field boundaries from the NRCS
• Digitizing farm information
• Adding Imagery
• Adding a web soil survey layer
• Adding other Land Resources Information to your project
• Working with layers
• Search, Explore, measure and query your maps 

3. Presenting your maps & sharing your farm information

• Using drawing tools to create your farm layout 
• Communicate with maps, using symbology and labels
• Creating commonly used maps – soils, topo, fields, etc. / Common Map Layouts used in NRCS Conservation Plans
• Printout your maps or export as images
• Export/import information in different formats.
• Exchange layers or entire projects in single files
• Share farm information using Google Earth

4. Collecting field data with GPS  devices

• Planning field visits
• Planning soil sampling - directed soil sampling and grid sampling
• Bringing GPS data from the field into the farm GIS
• Using smartphones, tablets or notebooks to navigate farm layers in the field

5. Site specific management tools 

• Site Specific Management overview
• Define the data structures that best fit your needs
• Using different remote sensing products for supporting farm decisions.
• Working with test strips for on-farm research
• Creating grid sampling layers
• Creating prescription maps for variable rate applications
• Yield analysis tools

Course Methodology

Participants can follow this online course from their desktop. Using various online resources (webinars, videos, tutorials, quizzes), they build skills working on sample farm/land data and exchanging information and experiences with facilitators and other participants.

The course is developed during 5 weeks, with an estimated dedication of 2 hours per week, for a total of 10 hours. During these 5 weeks, facilitators and participants will share:

• An Introductory 1 hour webinar, which will provide a course overview and how the online training works. Recorded webinars are also reviewed during the course.
• Activities & Quizzes: the course will guide you through the learning process, through hands-on activities, and brief quizzes to summarize each topic, that participants can review in their own time.
• Online interaction: We'll use communication tools, such as email, and forums where participants and tutors can discuss topics, learn from others experiences or resolve issues.

What are the benefits of this methodology?

• Convenient access to instructor-led online training courses — no need to travel.
• Hands-on practice - Class time is divided between presentations and hands-on exercises. 
• Ability to ask questions, get answers,  participate in group activities and interact with the instructor and other participants through chats and forums.
• Downloadable course materials, exercise data, and a course certificate of completion.

Grades

Participants must achieve a grade of 75% or higher on every activity and quiz to receive a course completion certificate. Also, Continuing Education Units are awarded to Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) upon completion, including 4.0 CEUs in Soil and Water Management, and 6.0 CEUs in Crop Management, for a total of 10.0 CEUs.

  The course exercises will be developed using:

• GeoAgro GIS, a simple to use GIS specifically designed for farm and land management. Various features reviewed  are implemented during the course using this this tool, such as creating the farm layout, collecting data from the field using a GPS, navigating maps in the field, creating different layers of information, and other common mapping tasks - learn more ›
• Google Earth, a general web based GIS browser, is used as a tool to share farm/land information within your team and producer - learn more ›
• Other GIS tools to visualize GIS information in smartphones/tablets (for IPad/Iphones, or android devices)

GeoAgro GIS and Google Earth can work together to distribute information in a simple way.

Sample Farm data:

Course participants work on sample fields data, for a hands-on experience. The provided sample datasets include a variety of information, ranging from basic layers such as soils, topography and background imagery to processed remote sensing data.

Remote Sensing has been used in agriculture for 40 years, but only recent advances have made it possible to use it effectively in crop management. This course will focus on how to apply aerial/satellite remote sensing to make timely and profitable decisions, reviewing validated approaches from researchers and practitioners from leading organizations:

• Basic principles for Agricultural Remote Sensing, presented by Ed Di Pollina, M.Sc., GeoAgro
• Evaluating potential yield losses and applying supplemental Nitrogen in corn using remote sensing techniques, presented by Dr. Peter Scharf, University of Missouri.
• Use of Remote Sensing to build nutrient management zones, presented by Dr. Dave Franzen, North Dakota State University.
• Proxy yield maps based on remote sensing, concepts and applications, presented by Dr. James Schepers, former USDA ARS Researcher.
• Use of Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS Technologies to Detect and Accurately Identify the Cause(s) of Plant Disease Epidemics. , presented by Dr. Forrest Nutter, Iowa State University 
• Using imagery and Vegetation indices for crop monitoring & post-season analysis - Leaf Area Index, Normalized Differential Vegetation Index, Biomass, Chlorophyll mapping, and others, presented by Ed Di Pollina, M.Sc., GeoAgro

Who should attend:
Agricultural retailers, Consultants, and Producers, looking to enhance their production systems through the support of aerial/satellite remote sensing approaches.

Goals
At the end of the course, Participants will be able to:

• apply aerial/satellite remote sensing alternatives in different stages of their crop management operations, including field scouting, crop monitoring, Management zones delineation, yield mapping, crop protection, and  variable rate application of N and other nutrients.
• evaluate different options and imagery systems characteristics, services, and potential benefits for their specific farm management needs.

Module 1 - Basic principles for Agricultural Remote Sensing

Presenter: Ed Di Pollina, M.Sc., GeoAgro

In this module, we'll review basic principles of different Remote sensing applications in crop management:

• Spectral Reflectance Properties of leaves
• Spectral Reflectance Properties of Soils
• Crop Canopies and Vegetation Indices
• Aerial/satellite imagery providers - systems characteristics
   

Module 2 - Evaluating potential yield losses and applying supplemental Nitrogen in corn, using remote sensing techniques.

Presenter: Dr. Peter Scharf, University of Missouri

Excessive rainfall can result in loss of fertilizer and soil nitrogen. Dr. Scharf will present remote sensing methods to track spring rainfall and identify ‘danger areas’ that are on track to have widespread problems with N loss and deficiency. This is a serious production and environmental problem that has been estimated to cost Midwestern corn producers 1.5 billion bushels total from 2008 to 2010.

The applied methods also enable the crop manager to define variable rate application of N during key dates in the crop season, resulting in improved yields.
 

Module 3 - Use of Remote Sensing to build nutrient management zones.

Presenter: Dr. David Franzen, North Dakota State University

This session will focus on the use of remote sensing to aid in site-specific management of nutrients, notably nitrogen, but also other nutrients in some circumstances. The success of using remote sensing as a predictive tool in sugarbeets will be highlighted, as well as the use in zone nutrient management.

This module will focus on two topics, the use of Remote Sensing as a predictive tool in sugar beets, and the use of Remote Sensing to help build zones for nutrient management of many crops
 

Module 4 – Using remote sensing to produce 'proxy yield maps'

Presenter: Dr. James Schepers, retired USDA ARS researcher.

Remote sensing and GIS tools make it possible to assess yield variability in fields at least a month before harvest.

In this presentation, we'll review how Imagery is processed to generate a map of LAI (leaf area index) or biomass, that can be useful to investigate causes of anticipated yield variability. Such maps can also be processed to generate a proxy yield map after harvest if the producer provides the amount of grain removed from the field and a realistic estimate of maximum and minimum yields.

Module 5 - Using imagery and Vegetation indices for crop monitoring & post-season analysis - Leaf Area Index, Normalized Differential Vegetation Index, Biomass, Chlorophyll mapping, and others.

Presenter: Ed Di Pollina, M.Sc., GeoAgro

Aerial/Satellite imagery and Vegetation Index Maps can help track crop health, identify possible areas of poor plant stand, or show crop development status, helping producers to identify problem areas, and to make timely decisions, or post-season analysis. In this module, we’ll review how different indexes can be used to monitor different aspects of the crop cycle.
 

Module 6 – Use of Remote Sensing, GPS, and GIS Technologies to Detect and Accurately Identify the Cause(s) of Plant Disease Epidemics. 

Presenter: Dr. Forrest Nutter, Iowa State University.

This session will describe the use of integrated technologies (remote sensing, global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic Information Systems (GIS)) to obtain pathogen-specific temporal and spatial signatures that can be used to accurately identify exotic and endemic plant pathogens for enhanced crop biosecurity.  These technologies also have tremendous potential for their use in precision agriculture to manage plant pathogens.

This session will provide examples of how remote sensing, GPS, and GIS technologies provide new tools for U.S. crop biosecurity and the transfer of these technologies for precision agriculture. 

Participants can follow this online course from their desktop. Using various online resources (webinars, videos, tutorials, quizzes), they build skills working on sample farm data and exchanging information and experiences with facilitators and other participants.

The course is developed during 6 weeks, with an estimated dedication of 2 hours per week, for a total of 12 hours.
During these 6 weeks, course instructors and participants will share:

• Weekly 1 hour webinars, where a subject area specialist presents each topic. Webinars are recorded for later view.
• Course participation: Activities & Quizzes are done in the participants own time, the online course guides the learning process, through reading material, hands-on activities, and brief quizzes to summarize each topic. The course includes Data processing for one farm for each course participant, including processed Imagery from past crop seasons, Productivity Maps to evaluate variability, Yield maps and Proxy yield maps. Information layers will be provided through GeoAgro's Farm Service Center, and can be downloaded to any GIS software.
• Online interaction: We'll use communication tools, such as email, and forums where participants and tutors can discuss topics, learn from others experiences or resolve issues.

What are the benefits of this methodology?

• Convenient access to instructor-led online training courses - no need to travel.
• Hands-on practice
• Ability to ask questions, get answers,  participate in group activities and interact through chats and forums.
• Downloadable course materials, exercise data, and a course certificate of completion.

Grades
Participants must achieve 75% or higher on every activity and quiz to to receive a course completion certificate and CEUs.
Continuing Education Units are awarded to participating Certified Crop Advisers who complete the modules, including 4.0 CEUs in Nutrient Management, and 8.0 CEUs in Crop Management, for a total of 12.0 CEUs.

Ed Di Pollina, M.Sc., GeoAgro

Dr. Peter Scharf, University of Missouri

Dr. David Franzen, North Dakota State University

Dr. Forrest Nutter, Iowa State University

Dr. James Schepers, retired USDA ARS researcher

Data

Course participants will receive data from their own selected farm (up to 500 acres), including processed Imagery from past crop seasons, Productivity Maps to evaluate variability, Yield maps and Proxy yield maps, to apply acquired concepts.

Software tools

Information layers will be provided through GeoAgro's online Farm Service Center, which allows to distribute, share, analyze, report, and download the farm layers to any  GIS software.

Participants can then use GeoAgro GIS or their own GIS software, for  additional data analyisis, GPS connection, and ground truthing of remote sensing information:

• Course participants will receive an annual license to use GeoAgro GIS, a simple to use GIS specifically designed for farm and land management. With this option, users can manage their information, share information with their team and producers, and reduce their software costs - learn more ›
•  Farm layers will be available in widely used formats, for use in ArcGIS or other farm management software.