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Exploring Crop Record Keeping Software and Mapping Technologies
From the July 2007 article "Computing Technology," an Ohio State researcher provides additional resources and more information on crop record keeping and mapping tools.
By Nathan Watermeier
Crop record keeping and mapping technologies can consist of basic record keeping and display software, desktop GIS (geographic information systems), web-based GIS, and simple viewers for imagery and maps. Depending on what your applications are, and ability to expand in the future, dictates the sophistication level of your software needs.
There are desktop field record keeping and GIS programs designed specifically for agriculture. On average, these programs cost anywhere from $600 to several thousand dollars. These programs range from simple crop record keeping to full farm and business enterprise systems that include connections to livestock, farm financial record keeping, crop management, and managing commercial fertilizer and chemical application operations. Generally, programs that have crop management features work with job tasks, field records, economics, soils, yield data, and creating recommendation maps for variable rate applicator equipment.
There are also desktop GIS systems that can be very comprehensive and includes most everything you want it to do. However, some of the advanced GIS programs can have a demanding learning curve. Many of the larger operations and consultants are using GIS-level software. In some cases, they run a combination of software to meet all their needs.
Some of specialized field record keeping and GIS programs for agriculture include:
Large-scale and commercial enterprises and operations can also consider
There are stand-alone GIS programs that can input various layers like vector (ie, points, lines, and polygons) and raster (i.e., images, graphics) data sets. They also use file types like shape files (*.shp) or MapInfo Interchange File (*.mif). These programs range from free to several thousand dollars. They also have a range of features from just viewing to geo-statistical computations. The low-cost programs are most adequate for general field record keeping and site planning work.
Several other notable GIS programs used in agriculture and natural resources include:
There are field-based data collection systems using handheld, TabletPC, and laptop computers to generate field data and then sync or integrate into desktop software for creating maps and reports. These programs are intended for crop scouting and field record keeping. Most of these can be used with GPS units to collect geo-referenced data.
Internet Based GIS and Mapping Tools
An online or web-based GIS system is simply that, a mapping system you can use on the Web. These systems provide data that go beyond your farm operation and provide data at the county, state, and national levels. The benefit from using these tools is that you don’t need to purchase stand-alone software. You can either download a viewer or use a web browser to access online web maps. You can overlay several data layers, make measurements (i.e., acres, feet), obtain data, display, and print maps. However, many of these online GIS systems are designed for specific purposes and are limited to the data that it represents. In many cases you are not able to download data to your own software or add your own data through the online GIS. In the future, there will be more services that can allow you to add your own data. Since these tools rely on the Internet, it requires fast bandwidth to refresh and display maps adequately on your computer. This can be a large drawback for rural communities with limited bandwidth capabilities. In some cases, the map will not even display. Some examples of online GIS systems include county and engineering offices for putting up real estate parcel and tax information. The USDA-NRCS Web Soil Survey http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/ and the University of Illinois MarketMaker http://www.marketmaker.uiuc.edu are a few agriculture examples to visit.
Other notable Internet-based mapping tools that are available to display U.S. level topographic (elevation) and aerial, satellite imagery and other data include Google Earth http://earth.google.com, Microsoft Terraserver http://terraserver-usa.com, and USAPhotoMaps http://www.jdmcox.com. Microsoft Terraserver works through any Web browser. Google Earth and USAPhotoMaps require you to download a viewer that pulls data directly from the Internet. The most popular tool is Google Earth. It has taken the best-of-the-best aerial and satellite imagery and has created a seamless map for the world.
It even has the capability for making linear measurements. You can also purchase extensions that can allow you to add your own data. Here’s a tip for those of you who want to attract visitors to your farm. Consider creating a link from your web site using a keyhole markup language (.i.e., *.kml) link. Microsoft Terraserver and USAPhotoMaps both rely on black and white digital orthophotoquads (DOQs) and topographic data represented as digital raster graphics (DRGs). They also provide a format that you can download as a geo-referenced image for use in stand alone mapping programs. USAPhotoMaps also allows you to add GPS data points straight from a handheld GPS unit.
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