Annotated Bibliography of GIS Applications in Agriculture
GEO 565
Winter 2009
Overview
This annotated bibliography was created to illustrate the significance and versatility of GIS utilization in agriculture. Because GIS is capable of storing, retrieving, analyzing, and displaying spatial data it is globally employed in agricultural-based applications and is commonly used to support decision-making. Below is a small compilation of journal articles from around the world that demonstrate the importance of GIS in evolving agricultural applications.
Core, Jim. (2004). New Sampling System Helps Growers Improve Cotton Fiber Properties. Agricultural Research. 52(10): 8-9.
This article discusses the agricultural concept known as “precision agriculture,” which allows farmers to maximize the utilization of every part of their fields by providing the right ratios of amendments exactly where they are needed. An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist has designed a system to sample harvested cotton in an effort to differentiate varying fiber qualities harvested from a field. The harvesting equipment is outfitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver so sampled fiber properties can be incorporated with recorded spatial positioning data for database entry. This information is then entered into a GIS database where maps of different cotton fiber characteristics can be generated based on their location in the field. The article emphasizes how this system has increased the understanding of the relationships between factors like soil, water, and nutrients and their respective contributions to cotton fiber development, and ultimately, cotton quality. The GIS maps provide a means for the farmers to determine what areas of the field are producing the most desirable cotton in order to create these same growing conditions in the other areas of their cotton fields that are lacking in quality.
Corner, R. J., Hickey, R. J., and Simon E. Cook. (2002). Knowledge Based Soil Attribute Mapping in GIS: The Expector Method. Transactions in GIS. 6(4): 383-402.
This article describes an innovative method of combining “expert” knowledge with data within a GIS to present information about spatially dispersed attributes. This method, known as EXPECTOR, was initially developed as a soil mapping method and has functions useful in precision agriculture. The basic concept is that a particular state or characteristic of a section of land that may be difficult to measure specifically can be “inferred” from other more easily measured characteristics. This requires a specific understanding of the relationships between the two. When land is evaluated for any purpose, its attributes ultimately help determine what function that piece of land will serve. The spatial analysis capability of GIS is combined with a generated representation of “expert” knowledge to manage data that allows soil surveyors to get a quantitative estimate of specific soil properties. In other words, EXPECTOR can combine varying types of data into maps that illustrate how specific soil properties are distributed. Each data type utilized is represented in a data layer. The article suggests that EXPECTOR is a “probabilistic interpolator.” This means that knowledge about the relationships of properties that behave in a certain way in a subset of an area can be applied to generate maps of the remaining area. This method’s accuracy is stated as equivalent to a traditional soil map based on a clay content map generated in Western Australia.
Cullu, Mehmet Ali. (2003). Estimation of the Effect of Soil Salinity on Crop Yield Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry. 27(1): 23-28.
This study utilized remote sensing technology (satellite imagery) and GIS to estimate soil salinity impacts on crop production. Monitoring salinity through the utilization of satellite imagery has shown to be effective in large areas, and as a result, predicting salt associated crop production problems has been studied. The research focused on the notoriously salty fields of Turkey’s Harran Plain. The available soil electrical conductivity (EC) map based on soil samples was integrated onto land parcels using GIS. This accomplishment increases the applicability of models for their “regional planning and policy analysis” (p. 25). Land use types were determined based on what crops, like cotton and wheat, responded best under specific known EC levels. By combining remote sensing data and GIS, estimates regarding the effect of salinity differences can help determine the specific land use type for a certain area. Now, more a more accurate analysis illustrating the effects salinity has on crop yield can be used to establish more educated land planning and increase local crop yields for the farmers of the Harran Plain.
Goel, M. K., Kumar, P. et al. (2007). Operation Analysis of a Reservoir in GIS Environment Using Remote Sensing Inputs. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 28(2): 335-52.
The study implemented by M. K. Goel et al. discusses the operational analysis of Samrat Ashok Sagar (SAS) Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh, India. The availability and effective management of water reservoirs used for necessities like irrigation water is crucial to the evolving technological approach to agriculture. In a larger context, efficiently managing this irrigation water resource provides solutions to water supply concerns in other areas where there is often not enough water to meet the demand. For this project, remote sensing data was used to map the cropping patterns and canal layouts in the region, and GIS was utilized to integrate irrigation demands of these respective fields to determine what the actual irrigation demands are from the SAS Reservoir. The reservoir management plan generated integrates remote sensing, GIS analysis, relevant meteorological factors, and a reservoir operation algorithm to implement an appropriate management system based on the current cropping patterns, “real-time” weather conditions, and water supply in the reservoir.
Holton, W. (2000). Farming from a New Perspective: Remote Sensing Comes Down to Earth. Environmental Health Perspectives. 108(3): A130-A133.
This literature discusses “precision agriculture” as an important strategy to reduce the harmful environmental and human health effects associated with traditional farming practices while enhancing crop productivity by possessing a better understanding of soil conditions and specific fertilizer and pesticide needs with precision. GIS technology plays a significant role in precision agriculture by having the ability to incorporate numerous layers of agricultural-related information into the computer mapping functions. Additionally, Holton describes the crucial remote sensing output associated with precision agriculture and how this particular technology is a byproduct of the Cold War. James Schepers, a soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), was described as being one of the first agricultural researchers to think of combining crop yield maps and soil survey maps with remote sensing to accurately apply fertilizers. As of 2000, Schepers was working to positively identify spectral signatures of macronutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus which is essential to field fertilization. The role that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has played for a long time in support of agriculture in the U.S. was emphasized. It is stated that NASA has newer remote sensing technology called the Advanced Thermal and Land Applications Sensor (ATLAS) that can effectively scan fifteen spectral bands at 2-m resolution. ATLAS has proven useful to track drought conditions on farmlands, and a new application under consideration involves using this remote sensing to “enforce environmental standards compliance by farmers” (p. A132). Finally, the article discusses that there are many problems associated with remote sensing which are being solved constantly allowing this tool to help us understand complex issues like global climate change and health issues linked to agriculture.
Kleynhans, T., Coppin, P. R., and Lloyd P. Queen. (1999). Geographic Information System Concepts for Land Management. Development Southern Africa. 16(3): 519-31.
This article discusses the value of GIS as a means to integrate Southern African Development Community (SADC) agricultural resource information to aid regional land planning. This group uses GIS to perform a variety of functions regarding spatial data like storing, retrieving, analyzing, and displaying information to support local decision making projects. Topics regarding locational analysis are discussed focusing on the ability of GIS to store data to analyze complex spatial relationships quickly. Temporal analysis regarding land management is performed with GIS by storing and comparing maps of different dates in time. The focus of the literature then shifts to outline GIS database requirements to ensure consistent quality, integrity, and availability. As the influence and utilization of GIS increases as a result of its capability to support decision making, the need for reliable data grows. The authors address how the Database Management System (DBMS) performs error checking as new data records are created or established data is updated. Ultimately, the value of a GIS is directly related to the data used within the system. In order to conduct spatial analysis of the highest quality and reliability, care must be taken in the database management component of the system.
Nguyen, Van D., Douglas, I. et al. (2008). Erosion and Nutrient Loss on Sloping Land under Intense Cultivation in Southern Vietnam. Geographical Research. 46(1): 4-16.
For this study, a Vietnamese-United Kingdom research team went out to determine a means to estimate nutrient and soil loss corresponding with different land management configurations. The team used remote sensing and GIS to make estimates of the impact that land cover change has on these nutrient level and soil changes. The focus of their study was to link magnitudes of erosion to various land uses in order to suggest improvements for sloping land cultivation. They also hoped to develop an “erosion-risk” mapping system to improve existing land use management of rural areas. The study determined the severity of nutrient and soil losses for the sloping soil regions highly prone to erosion and made a corresponding land cover map using remote sensing technologies. These results will help Southern Vietnamese farmers cultivating sloping terrain more effectively configure their farm parcels.
Reisinger, P., Lehoczky, E., and Tamas Komives. (2005). Relationships Between Soil Characteristics and Weeds. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 36: 623-28.
This literature discusses how weed management efficiency is improved through the utilization of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and GIS, which ultimately results in significantly reduced costs to the environment and affected farmers. Field data from weed surveys was collected at sites marked by specific geographical coordinates, which allowed the study to note relationships between the weeds found and the associated soil properties. It is noted that decades of agricultural weed surveys have shown that the composition and range of weeds changes over time. Technologies like GPS and GIS provide a means to improve weed management efficiency. These same technologies also allow for better detection systems for weed population shifts over time. This research determined uneven weed distribution independent of the sampled soil properties; however, total weed cover was determined to be inversely correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus levels in the soil as well as the level of humus.
Rilwani, M. L., and Isi A. Ikhuoria. (2006). Precision Farming with Geoinformatics: A New Paradigm for Agricultural Production in a Developing Country. Transactions in GIS. 10(2): 177-97.
This paper illustrates the shortcomings of traditional land appraisal and planning methods used by developing countries and assesses the shift towards precision farming noting its benefits to agriculture. One of the primary problems facing Nigerian agricultural development is insufficient knowledge and evaluation of suitable farmlands. Spatial data that identifies suitable lands for specific agricultural uses will help with some of the problems they face. The article states that technologies like GPS, remote sensing, GIS, and Variable Rate Treatment (VRT) have helped move precision farming forward, and the utilization of these tools will greatly increase successful agriculture in developing countries like Nigeria. Although land appraisal and planning methods in developing countries are out dated and generalized, the article states that they do provide valuable information for determining which areas have a good potential for precision farming in the future. The authors mention that Nigeria successfully launched their initial remote sensing satellite in 2003. They can now take steps towards precision farming by using their remote sensing data to create information about agricultural resources to better assess the characteristics of their farmlands.
Sonmez, N. K., and Mustafa Sari. (2006). Use of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System Technologies for Developing Greenhouse Databases. Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry. 30(5): 413-20.
The objective of this study was to generate new databases of agricultural resources like greenhouses through other means than traditional land measurement methods. They wanted the database systems to be based on remote sensing and GIS. For Turkey to meet the requirements to become a full member of the European Union (EU), they have to meet several criteria. First, Turkey must determine and register their agricultural resources. The EU also requires that this information must “be prepared as national databases created based on remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies” (p. 414). Two objectives were identified by the study. The first was to determine greenhouses in a digital environment using remote sensing satellite data. The second objective was to create a database management system (DBMS) using GIS for individual greenhouses. Both of these objectives were completed. It is important to note that the databases created allow for the recording and querying of specific agricultural information. For example, the article states that one could find out where a certain crop is grown and how much is produced there.
Szabo, L., and Z. Dancshazy. (2007). IT Applications in Hungarian Plant Protection and Soil Conservation, Focusing on GIS. EPPO Bulletin. 37(2): 272-76.
A single national Plant Protection Service in Hungary manages soil conservation and plant protection for the country. Over time this group created six individual GIS laboratories and established a geographic information team. This was a direct result of the realization that GIS can integrate functions of many different fields like plant health and conservation in addition to soil conservation. An Agro-environmental Information and Monitoring System (AIMS) was established to integrate and analyze data regarding environmental conditions that relate to agriculture through GIS also providing digital mapping abilities. Projects taken on by this service group using these tools include management of pesticide use, plant health controls, weed control, and various soil-related projects. An important point emphasized is the fact that GIS utilization provides numerous capabilities for the Plant Protection Service.