GIS Application in agriculture
Agriculture is a business sector ideally suited for the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) because it is natural resource based, requires the movement, distribution, and/or utilization of large quantities of products, goods, and services, and is increasingly required to record details of its business operations from the field to the marketplace. Nearly all agricultural data has some form of spatial component, and a GIS allows you to visualize information that might otherwise be difficult to interpret. The value of GIS to agriculture continually increases as advances in technology accelerate the need and opportunities for the acquisition, management, and analysis of spatial data on the farm and throughout the agriculture value chain.
More about GIS application in agriculture
GIS tools and online web resources are helping farmers to conduct crop forecasting and manage their agriculture production by utilizing multispectral imagery collected by satellites. The ability of GIS to analyze and visualize agricultural environments and workflows has proven to be very beneficial to those involved in the farming industry.
GIS has the capability to analyze soil data and determine which crops should be planted where and how to maintain soil nutrition so that the plants are best benefitted.
Agricultural Geographic Information Systems using Geomatics Technology enable the farmers to map and project current and future fluctuations in precipitation, temperature, crop output etc. Agricultural mapping is day by day becoming crucial for monitoring and management of soil and irrigation of farmlands. It is facilitating agricultural development and rural development. Accurate mapping of geographic and geologic features of farmlands is enabling scientists and farmers to create more effective and efficient farming techniques.
Sensors in fields, on tractors and on satellites high above farms are constantly collecting data. Advanced technologies are able to turn this data into information that farmers and land managers can use to make more informed and timely decisions. This, in turn, boosts productivity and reduces environmental impacts. Farming is getting smarter with the availability of advanced technologies like precision equipment, the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors and actuators, geo-positioning systems, Big Data, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, robotics etc.