{"id":11322,"date":"2016-07-12T16:57:48","date_gmt":"2016-07-12T21:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gisgeography.com\/?p=11322"},"modified":"2025-03-31T05:06:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T10:06:37","slug":"farming-agriculture-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gisgeography.com\/farming-agriculture-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"GIS Agriculture Technology: How To Win the Farm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Agriculture<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Agriculture Technology from Location<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today’s farmers use sophisticated agriculture technology<\/strong> because they can save time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because crops are location-based, this makes Geographic Information Systems (GIS)<\/a> an EXTREMELY relevant tool for farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, farmers use precision GPS on the field to save fertilizer. Also, satellites and drones collect vegetation, topography, and weather information from the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this data can go into agriculture maps<\/a> for better decision-making. Let’s look at some other agriculture technology examples.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1. Data from the Machine – Precision Farming<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Farmers use precision agriculture because they can reduce the amount of fertilizer applied to the field.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Precision
Precision Agriculture | Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Not only do farmers save money on fertilizer, but they save the environment from over-application. This is because a lot of the excess fertilizer tends to end up in streams and rivers by runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precision farming applies fertilizer only where it’s needed. It’s site-specific.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sensors on a machine gather information about the crops. Also, the GPS gives you the exact position on the field. Precision farming then applies a variable rate of fertilizer to nutrient-deficient sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farmer who uses precision farming can save anywhere in the ballpark of 2-15$ per acre. Over time, this makes an incredible investment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2. Data from the Sky – Satellites and Drones<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What do crops need to grow? Other than sunlight and nutrients, plants need the right amount of water. Too much (flooding) or little (drought) water impacts crop growth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Center-pivot
Center-pivot Irrigation Landsat satellite | Image credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Satellite technologies like Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS)<\/a> collect real-time microwave energy from the Earth’s surface. This can better forecast crop production and monitor drought<\/a> and flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landsat satellites<\/a> analyze the greenness of vegetation using indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)<\/a>. We have a local and global estimate of crop productivity for the entire planet from a long list of satellites<\/a> orbiting the Earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can drones collect on a field?<\/p>\n\n\n\n