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Geo-spatial technology and it’s application in
agriculture
INTRODUCTION
- Geospatial technology is a rapidly growing and changing field.
- The term geospatial technology (GST) refers to geographical information systems
(GIS), global positioning systems (GPS), and remote sensing (RS), all emerging
technologies that assist the user in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of spatial
data.
- It deals with the relationship and condition of manmade and natural objects within
space, be it on Earth, or beyond (Bolstad, 2005).
- Geospatial technology has made inroads across various sectors in the public as well
as private domain in India. The major sectors using geospatial technology in India are:
agriculture, telecommunications, oil & gas, environmental management, forestry,
public safety, infrastructure, logistics etc.
- As stakeholders across sectors realise the utility and long term cost effectiveness of
using geospatial tools and technologies, the geospatial industry is set to progress by
leaps and bounds in the coming years.
Role of geospatial technology in agriculture
- The application of new and contemporary information, geospatial and
communication technologies (ICTs) for rural and agricultural development in
the Asia-Pacific region has been advancing quite rapidly over the last
decade.
- Geospatial technology is used mostly for surveying and mapping of
plantation crops. Mapping of rice is the major activity in countries like
Malaysia and Indonesia.
- Australia is among the major users of geospatial technologies, whereas
technologies like remote sensing and GIS are most widely used for mapping
of crops like sugarcane and oil palms.
- At the micro level implementation of geospatial tools is mainly used for
mapping of ground water resources, drainage patterns, variable rate
application and management of fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides.
Geospatial technologies play an influential role in the agriculture sector by
increasing yields, managing of resources, prediction of outcomes and
improving farm practices.
Geo-Spatial Technologies for Carbon Sequestration Monitoring
and Management
- CS is the process of transfer and secure storage of atmospheric CO2
into other long-lived carbon pools that would otherwise be emitted or
remain in the atmosphere (Lal, 2007).
- The strength of integrated RS-GIS rests on its ability to perform advanced
spatial and/or temporal analysis on multiple layers of high resolution
information. This facilitates research efforts directed at managing the global
carbon cycle, mainly by providing value-added information and assisting
implementation procedures. Integrated RS-GIS can act as a Decision Support
System (DSS) tool in CS management and monitoring.
- Integrated RS-GIS enables quantification of spatial and temporal
variability of climate and soil conditions across a region (Niu and Duiker,
2006).
- RS tools such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Light Detection and Ranging
(LiDaR) and satellite sensors such as Landsat, SPOT and Ikonos have been used to
map carbon stocks (Goetz et al., 2009).
- It was found that the total soil CS potential in the area, double cropped with
wheat-corn under a conventional tillage system, would range from 0.16-0.43 Pg of
C without any significant impact on crop yields (Thomson et al., 2006).
- This study showed that recovery of vegetation increases CS potential of eroded
soils. Regional-scale GIS has been used as the operating platform in the
development of C-Lock, a new system that standardizes estimation of agricultural
carbon sequestration credits.
- In a recent investigation to model soil CS potential in eroded areas, the
relationship of soil CS potential with soil erosion type, altitude, soil type and soil
parent material were explored using a GIS (Shi et al., 2009).
- This study showed that recovery of vegetation increases CS potential of eroded
soils. Regional-scale GIS has been used as the operating platform in the
development of C-Lock, a new system that standardizes estimation of agricultural
carbon sequestration credits. This system incorporates century, a biogeochemical
model that simulates carbon, nutrient and water dynamics for different types of
ecosystems. Such a system facilitates precision carbon management, an emerging
frontier of applied science.
- The synergistic role of RS and GIS technologies in CS management
was synthesized.
- Numerous literature reports suggest that the integrated RS-GIS
approach can aid CS management and monitoring strategies.
- In climate change mitigation, this approach can provide an efficient
and cost-effective means of estimating above and below-ground
biomass, delineating spatial variability, predicting potential carbon
stocks and revenues and outlining appropriate management strategies
for localized and regional scale.
- In the near future, the deployment of an integrated RS-GIS approach
for precision carbon management will become more visible
Remote sensing applications in agriculture
- Crop condition assessment and stress detection
- Identification of planting and harvesting dates
- Crop yield modeling and estimation
- Identification of pest and disease infestation
- Irrigation monitoring and management
- Land cover and land degradation mapping
- Identification of problematic soils
Remote Sensing... How You Can Use It on Your Farm
- Remotely sensed images can be used to identify
- water deficiency or surplus,
Uses of Remote Sensing in IPM programmer
- Remote sensing technologies provide
diagnostic tool for site specific management of
crops.
- Entomologist find remote sensory techniques
most valuable when are used at critical period of
stress in crop.
Remote-sensing applications for desert-locust monitoring
and forecasting
- Desert Locusts ( Schistocerca gregaria, Forskl) form a serious problem for
many of the ACP countries, and timely information is of critical importance.
- The major plague of 1985-89 prompted the world acridologists to improve the
forecasting tools and methodologies in order to maximize the effectiveness of
pesticides and reduce the toxicity in aquatic environment.
- FAO has set up several web based information services in relation to locust
prevention.
What is a GIS?
- Geographic Information System
- A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing,
analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced
information; that is, data identified according to location.
- A GIS makes it possible to link, or integrate, information
that is difficult to associate through any other means.
- Can use combinations of mapped variables to build and
analyze new variables.
- GIS is most useful when used to perform data analysis
Why Use GIS?
- Improve organizational integration
- Analyze landscape trends & patterns
- GIS tools provide the “big picture” about
the resources under your care and assist you
in developing long-term supply strategies,
forecasting silvicultural stock, determining
harvesting system options, etc.
GPS - Global Positioning System
- GPS is composed of a constellation of
orbiting satellites which in conjunction
with ground equipment enable users to
determine their exact position anywhere
on the surface of the earth at any time.
- GPS and remote sensing imagery are
primary GIS data sources.
- GPS data creates points (positions),
polylines, or polygons
GPS Applications
- Field preparation, Planting and Cultivation
- Fertilizing and Crop Protection
- Mapping, Scouting, and Sampling
GPS Use in Agriculture
Conclusion
- Recent developments in remote sensing and GIS hold much promise to
enhance integrated management of all available information and the
extraction of desired information to promote sustainable agriculture and
development.
- GIS is considered one of the important tools for decision making in
problem solving environment dealing with geo-information.
- Remotely sensed images can be used to identify nutrient deficiencies,
diseases, water deficiency or surplus, weed infestations, insect damage,
hail damage, wind damage, herbicide damage, and plant populations.
- Sustainable utilization of land resources.
Remote Sensing and GIS technology is very effective tool for suggesting
action plans /management strategies for agricultural sustainability of any
region.
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