Spatial analysis, precision agriculture, and intelligent planning are just a few of the new ideas made possible by the lightning-fast pace of technological progress. Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are three primary components of geographic information technologies, which are widely used in agriculture and land use.
GIS data collection relies on drones and satellite imagery as a starting point. It should be noted that the concept of drones vs. satellites is improper in this context, as we will see further.
Ways оf Using GIS Data in Agriculture and Related Spheres
Employing spatial data provided by drones and satellites, GIS assists farmers in making crop predictions and managing overall agricultural production. The power of GIS to analyze and visualize fields and all farm activities is highly beneficial for professionals working in agriculture.
Satellites make it possible to collect and analyze current and historical data about fields, large and small, anywhere on the earth. The use of drones in agriculture, on the other hand, has given farmers a bird’s-eye view perspective of their fields, allowing them to make more informed management decisions. However, it is generally economically impractical to use drones alone; thus, they are best combined with satellites. Why do drones need satellites? The reason is that satellites can quickly and efficiently collect data over vast areas, pinpointing smaller zones with potential problems for drones to investigate.
Agriculture
Together with historical field data, information about the soil’s state, weather forecasts, etc., GIS data helps agriculture producers come up with more efficient ways to farm. EOS Data Analytics has built a precision agriculture platform based on GIS data that enables farmers and other agri-food chain participants to use their resources more efficiently. EOSDA Crop Monitoring collects a wide range of data about fields and shows it on interactive GIS maps to aid decision-making.
Currently, EOSDA Crop Monitoring provides farmers with the following GIS-driven services:
- visualization of crop state based on vegetation index value;
- zoning fields based on productivity levels for more accurate fertilization and soil sampling;
- building of GIS soil maps and field condition monitoring;
- visualization of data acquired by agricultural machinery and more.
Additionally, EOSDA’s tailored solutions enable the most precise crop classification and yield prediction, essential for planning field activities, creating sales strategies, and even ensuring global food safety.
Surveying
GIS gives surveying data a new level of precision and a more advanced way to be shown, including topographic details and the most up-to-date interactive maps. Agribusiness can use this information to manage natural resources and run simulations for moisture retention or soil erosion. With spatial data, you can also model water flow below the surface, assess earthquake risk, or figure out how stable the land is for petroleum exploration.
Geology
It is not always possible for geologists who study the structure, composition, and evolution of the globe to travel to a site for field research. Drones and satellites used for remote sensing in geology allow scientists to gather data from all around the world at once by harnessing the power of electromagnetic radiation. Thus, geologists rely heavily on GIS for analyzing and visualizing information collected by remote sensors.
Water Management
Not all the water on earth is safe for people or animals to drink. Using data about the slope, river flow, and land use, GIS can help determine how safe the water is. GIS can manage enormous amounts of data to produce detailed reports. The organization in charge can utilize these reports to study and set water management rules.
At the same time, rain and other water sources are precious and must not be wasted. The way GIS participates in water supply system monitoring makes it much easier to locate and repair any leaking components. It is paramount in arid regions like Madagascar or Ethiopia, where locating water sources and efficient water management are critical to human survival.
Pest Management
GIS is an excellent tool for managing pest location and distribution data. The ability to store massive volumes of data on pests allows for tracking and predicting. This critical information enables the deployment of timely preventative actions. GIS can also monitor the success of such measures as an aerial spraying campaign.
Let’s consider the application of GIS in the fight against a fire ant infestation in Orange County, California, in 1998. Fire ants wreak havoc on crops by feasting on seedling corn, soybeans, and other cash crops.
The previous pest monitoring method was labor-intensive, time-consuming, and error-prone. Later, after switching to Geographic Information Systems, data was collected digitally with a single data structure, and precise location information was stored automatically. GIS tools made it achievable to decrease reporting turnaround time and cut operating costs. In addition, with more reliable pest management and prediction, public safety concerns were effectively handled.
Business Development and Planning
Using multispectral images obtained by drones and satellites, GIS tools assist farmers in making crop forecasts, managing agricultural production, and planning. The ability of GIS to assess and visualize fields and work processes is critical to the growth of agribusinesses.
GIS allows for analyzing soil and weather data to identify which crops should be planted and which farming activities are required, as well as to send scouts directly to hot spots instead of wasting time examining the entire field. Furthermore, satellites and drones used in agriculture enable managers to constantly track the state of their fields and monitor task performance. Thus, GIS in agribusiness management assists farmers and growers in increasing productivity while decreasing expenses through better land management.
Agricultural Banking
Banking and other risk-based industries have been using GIS technology for some time now. Agricultural finance is a complex market that has to account for many criteria. Weather events and climate changes, soil conditions, agricultural practices, and land-specific property rights information may all impact the farmland and properties in a lender’s portfolio. GIS maps come in handy for banks trying to keep an eye on all the above elements.
Most importantly, GIS maps facilitate cooperation and communication among lenders, borrowers, and other agricultural experts by putting all parties on the same page. Using an interactive representation of data, GIS allows users to present information in the most helpful form for the given context.
Mapping
GIS mapping is a scientific method that delivers easily interpretable maps for various fields of application. Mapping with GIS comes in handy in the following areas:
- land management and land use planning;
- soil quality assessment and field zoning;
- assessing groundwater quality and pollution risks;
- seismic hazard forecasting;
- estimation of mineral resources and their extraction costs, etc.
GIS cartographic information is helpful for public and private decision-making in many fields, including agriculture, because it can be used to analyze a wide range of phenomena and make well-informed decisions, even by people who are not experts.
Dairy Industry
GIS can help assess the efficiency of transporting milk at local and regional levels. On a small scale, GIS network functions are used to discover the best routes for milk trucks between farms and dairy plants. When comparing the results of GIS to the results of traditional route planning methods, it is clear that the GIS-based approach is significantly more cost-effective and has tremendous potential in the dairy industry.
Natural Resources Management
Geographic information systems are commonly applied in natural resource study, administration, and monitoring. In natural resource management, GIS is mainly used to address environmental issues like flooding, soil erosion, and drought. The use of drones and satellites for environmental monitoring also helps to combat modern problems, including global warming, habitat loss, population growth, pollution, and others.
Even though it’s impossible to stop all natural disasters, you can lessen their effects by predicting them, taking steps ahead of time, and making plans to avoid their effects. GIS maps aggregate spatial data about past and potential disasters to lessen damage from such events in the future.
Companies in the agricultural sector, supplementary businesses, and individual consumers can gain a lot from utilizing GIS data. Interactive GIS maps help to clarify complex concepts and make informed management decisions much easier.
Also Read: Microsoft – SlantRange collaboration to empower global agriculture market
