Geospatial Technologies for Crops and Soils: An Overview

Abstract

Natural resource monitoring and assessment is a vital step to formulate a sustainable development plan. The introduction of various modern geospatial techniques and tools like Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and information technology (IT) have provided powerful approaches of surveying, identifying, classifying, mapping, monitoring, and characterization of the composition, extent, and distribution of various natural resources. Geospatial techniques deal with the acquirement, storage, processing, production, presentation, and dissemination of geoinformation. The information obtained from RS, GPS, and through conventional methods could be used effectively to create database in GIS platform for various spatial and temporal analysis related to sustainable management of land resource and formulate environment-friendly action plans. Major applications of geospatial technologies related to crops and soils are crop inventory and monitoring, crop production estimates and forecasting, crop growth simulation modeling, crop yield estimation, precision agriculture, soil mapping, land degradation assessment, soil erosion assessment, soil quality assessment, digital soil mapping, digital terrain modeling, soil-landscape modeling, land use/land cover mapping, agricultural land use planning, etc., which have a far-reaching impact on mapping, monitoring, and management of crop and land resources on sustainable basis. Geospatial approaches have made inroads across different sectors both in private and public domain in various countries across the world. Selected tools can help to restore the soil health, stop exploitation of the natural resources, reduce energy consumption, carbon and water footprints, and improve the productivity and sustainability under changing climate. Geospatial technologies for crops and soils a novel tool for the food, nutritional, environmental, and economic security for the future generations under limited natural resources. This book will be helpful for the producers, researchers, teachers, and policymakers to deal with the future alarming issues.