GIS in agriculture is not a new phenomenon anymore. The agricultural sector is the mainstay of the rural part of most economies around which socio-economic privileges and deprivations revolve, and any change in its structure is likely to have a corresponding impact on the existing pattern of social equality.
Future of Agriculture with the use of GIS
The future growth in agriculture must come from new technologies which must not only cost-effective but also profit-oriented including conformity with a natural climatic regime of the country; technologies relevant to rain-fed areas specifically; continued genetic improvements for better seeds and yields; data improvements for better research, better results, and sustainable planning; bridging the gap between knowledge and practice; and judicious land use resource surveys, efficient management practices and sustainable use of natural resources.
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.
Sustainable agricultural production depends on the sensible use of natural resources (soil, water, livestock, plant genetics, fisheries, forest, climate, rainfall, and topography) in favourable technology management under the prevailing socio-economic infrastructure. Today, Technology plays an important role in the rapid economic growth and social transformation in developing countries.
Technological innovations and geospatial technology help in creating dynamic and competitive agriculture that is protective of the environment and capable of providing excellent nutrition to the people. GIS can substantially help in effective crop yield estimates, soil amendment analyses and erosion identification and remediation.
Precision Agriculture and GIS tools
Precision agriculture is tied up with high technology tools that are more accurate, cost-effective and user-friendly. Global Market Insights has launched a market report recently, according to which by 2024, the world’s precision farming market size will reach $10 billion by 2024.
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 deduce agricultural environments and workflows has proven to be very beneficial to those involved in the farming industry.
GIS can analyze soil data and determine which crops should be planted where and how to maintain soil nutrition so that the plants are best benefitted.
GIS in agriculture helps farmers to achieve increased productivity and reduced costs by enabling better management of land resources. Accurate mapping of geographic and geologic features of farmlands is enabling scientists and farmers to create more effective and efficient farming techniques.
As the agricultural sector opens its arms to embrace new technologies, in times to come, we hope to see every platter to be filled with more healthy food.
