The College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT) led training sessions for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to help them monitor crops using geospatial technologies.
Fourteen participants from the Department of Agriculture have completed the training titled, “Training Course on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) for the Creation of Crop Masks for Agricultural Monitoring (Basic)” held on June 6-10 at the Obdulia F. Sison Hall, UPLB.
Crop masks indicate which crops are planted in specific areas as shown on remote sensing images. This technology enables more efficient monitoring of agricultural crops in large areas.
The training participants included engineers, agriculturists, and project development officers from the DA Central Office, Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE), Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and Field Programs Operational Planning Division (DA-FPOPD).
Patrick Lemuel P. Relativo and Leo Neil T. Viado, a faculty member and a researcher from the Institute of Agricultural Engineering at CEAT, led the training and discussions. The sessions tackled basic concepts in GIS and using RS to complement agricultural production, monitoring, and forecasting.
It included a discussion of the current uses and applications of GIS and RS in the Philippines and abroad, and how these advanced tools can help increase agricultural productivity and efficiency.
They also demonstrated using free and open-source GIS and RS systems that do not involve expensive equipment and facilities.
During the closing program of the event, Dr. Rossana Marie C. Amongo, dean of CEAT, stressed the importance of agriculture in the Philippine economy and how the training will help the participants achieve the mandates of their respective offices.
Moreover, she also wished to see the trainees in the future short course offerings of CEAT to increase their knowledge in GIS and RS.
The five-day training course is part of the series of training programs spearheaded by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Extension and funded by DA-BAR. CEAT is one of the colleges tapped by OVCRE to lead the training programs. (Mary Jane F. Gallardo)
Original post can be read at https://uplb.edu.ph/academic/ceat-leads-training-course-for-da-staff