Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
(iii) Manipulation and analysis
(iv) Output
In addition, GIS is designed for the collection, storage, and analysis of objects
and phenomena, where geographic location is an important characteristic or critical
to analysis. The spatial searching and overlay of (map) layers are the unique func-
tions of GIS. For example, maps of crop potential and ground/surface water situation
can be combined in a GIS to produce map of the crop/land suitability on a temporal
and spatial basis.
Since in a real world situation, complexity is large (e.g., in agriculture for
decision making, data on land, soil, crop, climate, hydrology, forestry, livestock,
fisheries, social and economic parameters are required), and the physical computing
capacity to manipulate data is low and time consuming; GIS is an advanced and
excellent planning tool for the resource managers and decision makers. GIS thus is
the central element in the configuration of modern information technology (IT).
11.4 Major Tasks in GIS
GIS performs major six types of jobs:
•
Input
: Digitalization from paper map, scanning and vector processing, image
classification.
•
Manipulation
: Before all the information are integrated, they must be transformed
into same scale of resolution.
•
Management
: The spatial and attribute database management.
•
Query and viewing
: Once the data base is prepared, user can do any query on the
data through GIS, e.g., where is the soil having land type MHL and clay-textured
soils.
•
Analysis
: GIS has many powerful tools to generate “what-if” scenario. For exam-
ple, “Does drought exists in an area? How intensive is it? What is the extent and
what will be the crop yield loss?”
•
Visualization and printing
: Preparation of maps, legends, symbology, and other
related elements, and providing facility to print from printers.
11.5 Applications of GIS
The GIS can be used in the following fields/disciplines:
(a) Agriculture
-
Climatic constraints of growing crops
-
Soil resources availability, assessment, and planning
-
Potential suitability of crops/cropping pattern
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