GIS has been playing an important role in agriculture development around the globe.  It helps farmers elevate crop production, reduce raw material cost, and manage land resources very efficiently through the integration of GIS technology. Agriculture mapping plays a crucial role in management of soil types and irrigation methodologies for any farm area. This helps farmers, especially in India control and manage agricultural resources. Geographic Information System allows clear understanding and interpretation of visual data through understanding of relationships and patterns for maps, globes, charts, and more. This information can be easily used by farmers through geographically referenced information.

Applications of GIS in Agriculture

Why is GIS so important for Agriculture?

The basic principle of a farm works on the quantity of input and output, that means demand and supply.  Farmers need to balance both, the input and output for maximum crop yield and profitability. GIS has the ability to analyze and visualize agricultural areas and workflows, this makes it beneficial for farmers in the farming industry.  Positive farming is dependent on making informed decisions on where, what, and when – spatial phenomenon through GIS.

Benefits of GIS for Agriculture

Some of the benefits using GIS for agriculture are listed below –

• Crop mapping
• Crop analysis
• Landscape Mapping for Irrigation
• Soil Analysis
• Soil Erosion Analysis
• Studying various crop models
• Drainage systems through elevation models

The end of guess work in Agriculture

From the dawn of time, farming or agriculture has always been carried out through rough calculations and guesswork. The integration of GIS in crop planning management takes the guessing or human interference out of the picture and provides precise data in terms of soil analysis, erosion in the area, seasonal topography, and more. This makes it easier for farmers to understand what kind of crop can be grown on a specific piece of land.

Natural Factors

What was discussed above was the impact of soil on the quality of the crop, but there are other factors wherein agriculture and crops can suffer an impact if not analyzed completely.  Ground below the soil can have slopes that can affect drainage and water access to the crops, this means it can either deliver excess water to the crops or dehydrate the soil due to less water. Other factors include the intensity of sunlight, the amount of rainfall, man-made structures, industries around the field, pollution levels and more. All these factors can be taken into account through GIS for agricultural planning, as these factors can affect the quality of crops to a large extent.

Mapping and Identification

Geographic Information System plays a crucial role in identification and mapping of fields for archaeological features or optimizing the crop yield in other areas.  Increasing crop yield is one of the most important aspects and requirements of agriculture, GIS can be used to reorder crops patterns to manage food security, or even ensure maximum productivity from various soil types. Mapping is also used to trace areas that are vulnerable to drought and flood. This valuable information can be used by farmers to prepare contingency plans or even take informed decisions to grow the right crops.

Climate Change

Having an idea about weather patterns, temperature changes, etc. through robust information gives farmers an idea on what needs to be done to maximize productivity and efficiency. Climate changes can significantly affect soil erosion, soil quality, and in-turn damage crops. These are disasters that can be avoided through the application of GIS, change in weather patterns can cause –

• Changes in precipitation
• Changes in temperature
• Increase in crop pricing & more

Closing on a polite note

The future implications of GIS are immense and exceptional. But this technology needs to be available for rural farmers in India as they form the backbone of maximum food production in India. The big part of the revenue for the Indian government comes from the Agricultural sector, and technology needs to be incorporated for these people to enhance their yield. Global food crisis can be mitigated through the application of GIS. Check More…