How GIS, GPS & Remote Sensing in Smart Farming Yielding New Growth

The agriculture industry has drastically transformed since the inception of smart farming. As a boon of technology, machinery advances have taken place. It has expanded the speed, scale, and farm equipment productivity leading to efficient cultivation. Sensors may further build sustainability with accurate data, connectivity, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Amid these things, GIS and remote sensing play a pivotal role in smart farming, helping the entire agricultural industry grow fair and square.

According to research, smart farming and its implications can contribute to $2 trillion to $3 trillion in the value of global GDP in the upcoming years.

The ongoing pressure on the world population and the scarcity of water in the present time has already raised questions. Besides, an outbreak of COVID has created an untoward situation in terms of cost, energy, labor, etc. Since these are pressuring the profit margins, experts suggest implementing smart farming. In the form of efficient machinery, GIS and remote sensing can help the farmers by upgrading decision making, optimizing the yields, and taking better risks.

What is GIS & remote sensing in smart farming?

Since the agricultural revolution hit America and Europe in the 18th century, farming practices’ efficiency and effectiveness have increased drastically. Currently, GIS (Geographic information system) fuels the entire smart farming to yield the best results. With the use of GIS and GPS, farmers can quickly determine what they should implement during farming.

Geospatial technology collects data which enables the farmers to practical farming accordingly. To do the same efficiently, an advanced technology has been introduced. On that note, remote sensing is doing a great job dividing large farms into management zones. To satisfy the specific requirement of each zone, GIS & GPS is there to serve as per requirement.

How GPS & remote sensing are helping the farmers?

Most agricultural scientists are focusing on GIS & remote sensing due to its benefits. With real-time analysis and weather forecast, monitoring floods and crop area, etc., GPS & remote sensing are helping farmers implement smart farming technologies. Here are the benefits-

1. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)

This is mainly used for accessing the vegetation dynamics and crop health status. Applying NDVI helps escalate the crop chronology and their significant relationship with climate and weather. The satellite image contains the spectral brands. By mathematically calculating the spectral bands, vegetation healthiness can be measured. Also, it is interwoven with green biomass, which indicates healthy vegetation.

2. Properties of soil

In farm management practices, soil properties are essential as they directly relate to yield output. Frequent change in land management and farming system results in soil change. It compromises the future and current capacity of primary production. As soil is an essential agricultural aspect, including soil organic matter, pH, and texture, it provides information about soil conditions.

Conversely, the availability of water content within the soil is also a very crucial factor. By doing soil moisture mapping, it can be measured.

3. Identification of crop disease

Remote sensing technology enables the spatial distribution to get the disease information. Not only that, but it also provides information about the pests over a large area. Spatial analysis and satellite imagery techniques can detect crop infected areas and pests. It will also help to give an overview of the infected areas.

4. Monitoring of crop sown areas

Remote sensing plays a significant role in monitoring the crop sown area effectively. With the voluminous satellite data, crop loss assessment and other issues can be detected that are caused due to various catastrophic disasters. Also, the data estimates the sown area of various vegetables and crops.

5. Analysis of drone image

In micro level crop assessment, drone image plays a pivotal role. Due to natural disasters and crop diseases, farmers don’t yield the desired output. The drone data related to spatial resolution can provide the actual high-resolution image. It may range from 50cm, with an option to increase the same accordingly.

How are sensors influencing smart farming?

Sensors in smart farming and their usage help to acquire system and environmental metrics to make information-based decisions. Sensors have changed the approach of crop farming or intelligent farming.

Types of sensors

• Mechanical sensors
• Optical sensors
• Electrochemical sensors
• Location sensors
• Airflow sensors

1. Enhanced efficiency

The sensors allow the farmers to reveal their products and situations. Also, farmers get insights fast. Based on that, they can make knowledgeable choices regarding irrigation, robotic harvesting, and fertilizing.

2. Accelerated agility

As the IoT sensors have excelled in agility, it augments real-time tracking, structure prediction, climate prediction, etc. Therefore, new skills help the agricultural experts keep the plants during difficult odd situations.

3. Improved production

The digital transformation of agriculture accentuates the data-based actions in farming. By enabling higher production and maintaining quality, farmers can recognize the dependencies. Thanks to IoT-based sensors as it provides related structures. It helps to recreate first-rate situations and grow the dietary price too.

4. Tracking crops

Sensors can track crop fitness which requires precipitation, humidity, temperature and other significant parameters. If any deviations occur, farmers can also discover the same in advance. Based on that, they can take relevant actions.

Final words

The influence of GPS & remote sensors is undeniable to satisfy the global demand for food supply. It makes the entire farming easier and smooth. Also, it can adapt to various converting environmental situations. Therefore, the entire agricultural industry can lionize the benefits to the farmers. Therefore, the demand for crop supply can be faced without any hindrance in the future.