Climate – Smart Agriculture: Techniques and Technologies

Course Outline

Course Overview

This course is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of climate-smart agriculture, focusing on sustainable techniques and technologies that enhance resilience to climate change. Participants will explore innovative practices, tools, and strategies to improve agricultural productivity while mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. This course will employ a combination of lectures, hands-on field visits, continuous assessment through quizzes and assignments, case studies, and group projects to ensure participants gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in climate-smart agriculture techniques and technologies.

Module 1: Introduction to Climate-Smart Agriculture

• Definition and principles of climate-smart agriculture
• Significance and challenges of climate change in agriculture
• Role of climate-smart practices in sustainable food production

Module 2: Sustainable Farming Techniques

• Agroecology and ecological farming principles
• Conservation agriculture and minimal tillage
• Integrated pest management and biological control

Module 3: Water Management for Climate Resilience

• Efficient irrigation techniques and technologies
• Rainwater harvesting and water-use efficiency
• Drought-tolerant crop varieties and water-smart agriculture

Module 4: Climate-Resilient Crop Selection

• Climate-smart crop breeding and selection
• Adoption of stress-tolerant and high-yielding varieties
• Crop rotation and diversification for resilience

Module 5: Precision Agriculture and Smart Farming

• Use of technology for precision farming
• Satellite imaging and GIS applications in agriculture
• Sensor-based monitoring and data-driven decision-making

Module 6: Climate-Adaptive Livestock Farming

• Sustainable livestock management practices
• Breeding for climate resilience
• Feed optimization and waste management

Module 7: Agroforestry and Biodiversity Conservation

• Integration of trees and crops for climate-smart agriculture
• Biodiversity enhancement in agricultural landscapes
• Ecosystem services and climate mitigation

Module 8: Climate-Smart Infrastructure in Agriculture

• Sustainable land use planning
• Green infrastructure for climate resilience
• Energy-efficient and climate-smart agricultural buildings

Module 9: Farming in a Changing Climate

• Understanding climate data and forecasts
• Adaptive management strategies for changing weather patterns
• Early warning systems for extreme weather events

Module 10: Policy and Governance for Climate-Smart Agriculture

• National and international policies supporting climate-smart agriculture
• Farmer education and extension services

Financial incentives and support for sustainable farming practices