QGIS

Technical articles

QGIS is a free and open source Geographic Information System (GIS) software widely used in the agricultural sector for the management, analysis, and valorisation of spatial data. It enables farmers and agricultural advisors to better understand, plan, and optimize activities on the farm through mapping and spatial analysis^[1]^[2].

General overview

QGIS (Quantum GIS) is a free mapping software that allows structuring, visualizing, and exploiting geographic data. It is recognized for its versatility and accessibility, making it a preferred choice in agricultural education and among professionals in the sector^[3]^[1]. QGIS is compatible with numerous data formats, facilitating its integration into existing systems or with other specialized tools.

Compatible data formats

QGIS supports a wide variety of geographic data formats, including:

Shapefile (SHP) : a widely used standard format for vector layers.
GeoPackage (GPKG) : a modern, efficient format recommended for managing large datasets.
GeoJSON : a textual format suitable for data exchange over the internet, with automatic updates possible when reopening the project.
Raster (GeoTIFF, etc.) : for satellite images, yield maps, etc.^[4]^[5]

Applications in agriculture

The use of QGIS in agriculture is diverse and targets both farmers and advisors/technicians: - Creation and management of parcel maps (farm plans) - Visualization and analysis of yield, soil, or crop practice data - Planning of interventions (spreading, irrigation, sowing) - Identification of constraint zones (wetlands, slopes, regulatory distances) - Integration of external data (cadastre, aerial photos, weather data)^[6]^[1]^[7]

Example use case

An agricultural advisor can use QGIS to formalize spreading rules by identifying authorized and constraint zones on a farm. They can also produce thematic maps to support decision-making and regulatory management^[6].

Advantages for the agricultural sector

Accessibility : free software, no license cost
Interoperability : compatibility with numerous formats and sector tools (SIGA Champ, FADQ, GeoFIS)
Customization : ability to add layers, perform advanced analyses, and create maps tailored to farm needs
Active community : abundant documentation, dedicated training, support from the open source community^[2]^[8]^[1]

Training and support

Specific training courses exist to assist farmers and advisors in mastering QGIS, from beginner to advanced levels. These trainings cover data import, layer creation, map production, and spatial analysis, with concrete examples adapted to the agricultural context^[3]^[2]^[1].

Conclusion

QGIS establishes itself as an essential tool for spatial management in agriculture. Its flexibility, accessibility, and power make it a valuable ally to optimize farm management, meet regulatory requirements, and support the transition to precision agriculture.

References

[ref_5-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Getting Started with QGIS (institut-agro-montpellier.fr)

[ref_2-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 QGIS - Agronomy (formation-qgis.netlify.app)

[ref_1-3] 3.0 ^3.1 QGIS Tutorials - Sigea - GIS Portal dedicated to agricultural education (sigea.educagri.fr)

[ref_6-4] tutoqgis.pdf (tutoqgis.cnrs.fr) [PDF]

[ref_8-5] Downloadable Data - Sigea - GIS Portal dedicated to agricultural education (sigea.educagri.fr)

[ref_3-6] 6.0 ^6.1 TD_QGIS_epandageSORME.pdf (sigea.educagri.fr) [PDF]

[ref_7-7] - YouTube (youtube.com)

[ref_4-8] GeoFIS: a free tool to process data in Precision Agriculture - Aspexit (aspexit.com)

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