AGRC3036

Precision Agriculture
Professor Kim Bryceson
Lecture 6
March 29 2018

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 1

 Overview
Housekeeping
– Drone NoIR Project and Practical 1 Marks
– Notes
– *** 2 weeks break - Commonwealth Games
– NOTE: 1st Lecture back (Thursday 19 April) – No Lecture but I will be available to talk to anyone
about their spatial variability project. PRACT – will be set aside for you to work on the project
Review of Lecture 4
– Making Maps
Today’s Lecture
– GIS Applications
Todays Practical
– ARC GIS Spatial Analyst Tutorial
• Combining Raster image data and Vector geographic data

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 2

 Making Maps
Cartography
– Maps consist of a set of points, lines or areas (spatial data) defined by their location in space
with reference to a coordinate system + their non-spatial or attribute data (town names,
vegetation type etc)
– Usually represent a 3D surface such as the earth projected into 2 dimensions so that it appears
“flat”
– Type of projection will vary depending on scale and intended use of map being created
– Most common projections used in Australia are:
– Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) - 1:250,000 and larger scales)
– Lambert Conformal and Simple Conic (1:1,000,000 and smaller)
– The map Legend explains the meaning of the symbols and colours used to code and classify the
spatial information
Refs: What is a Map; Guide to Map Making; ESRI Mapping Centre, Sultan (Video –
Maps, Maps, Maps: Projections and Coordinate systems)

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 3

Life Beyond Mapping 1 or Spatial Statistics (1)
Spatial statistics
– Surface modelling - involves the translation of discrete point data into a
continuous surface that represents the geographic distribution of the data.
• Point Density mapping that aggregates the number of points within a specified
distance (number per acre)
• Spatial Interpolation that weight-averages measurements within a localized area
(e.g. Inverse Distance Weighted, Splining, Kriging)
• Map Generalization that fits a functional form to the entire data set (e.g.
polynomial surface fitting)
• Geometric Facets construct a map surface by tessellation (e.g., fitting an Irregular
Network of triangular facets to the sample data)

– Spatial analysis - Investigates the ‘contextual’ relationships - such as geographic

patterns, vicinity characteristics and connectivity among features

– Spatial Modelling - Seeks to map the relative appropriateness of map locations

for particular uses (Campground)
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 4
 Campground

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 5

31
 GIS and Applications
A GIS allows you to record a base map with a geospatial
referencing system such as longitude or latitude and then to
add additional layers of other information
– Importantly that information is identified using the same geospatial
referencing
The GIS then allows the individual layers, or themes to be
linked
– Analysis of the information can then be undertaken using the
statistical and analytical tools that are provided as part of the GIS
By providing spatial analysis of suitably coded data it is possible to
provide striking, visual representations of data
– These representations can often reveal patterns and trends that might
otherwise have gone unnoticed without the use of GIS techniques

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 6

 GIS Functions
Mapping Data
– The central function of a geographic information system is to provide
a visual representation of data. It is estimated that 80% of the data
we consider has a geospatial element of some form.
– GIS provides a means for that data to be stored in a database and
then represented visually in a mapped format. Simply understanding
where things are is a first step in understanding spatial patterns and
relationships.
Simple map

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 7

 GIS Functions
Proximity Analysis
– A technique that is used to define the relationship between a specific
location and other locations or points that are linked in some way
– The technique considers different factors such as social and economic
demographics and the presence of competitor outlets
– For an accurate proximity analysis the various themes to be used must all
use the same referencing system otherwise accuracy may suffer
Proximity analysis can be used to answer several types of
questions that include:
– How far is it between point a and point b? The simplest type of proximity
analysis calculates distances between two vector points.
– On average how far is one point from a set of other points or conditions?
– What is the closest point in terms of time or cost taken to reach that point?
– What is the straight line distance between a single point and other
selected points in that layer?
– How far are the points or edges of the nearest polygon?
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 8
 GIS Functions
Buffering
– Commonly used with proximity analysis to indicate the sphere of influence of a
given point.
– Buffering involves creating a zone around a given point, line, or polygon (area)
of a specified distance.

– Buffering is useful for creating a zone around a given geographic feature for
further analysis using the overlay method.
• EG a 1000′ buffer could be generated around a school to then use overlay
analysis to find out how many libraries are within 1000′ of that school.

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 9

GIS Functions
Find Clusters
– Using multiple algorithms it is possible to select a group of unrelated points on a
theme that match a set of criteria.
– A cluster could include members where distance between them is less than a
specific amount or areas where there is density of points greater than a specific
level
– Require multiple levels of iteration before the correct algorithms are identified.
Typical clustering models include:
– Connectivity models –simplest depend upon simple distance based relationships
– Centroid models – where inclusion in a cluster is determined by identifying the
mean value of the cluster that is most appropriate to the point being considered
– Distribution models – where inclusion is determined by the application of a
statistical distribution theory such as the normal probability
– Density models – using techniques specially identified for GIS work that link areas
with specific densities of an event or population such as racial profiles in a given
area
– Group models – those models where
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018
an algorithm cannot be established to
Slide 10
demonstrate a shared link where they are in effect linked manually
 GIS Functions
Find Nearest
– A technique that can be used to measure the distances between a point and the
edge of a specific element that has been defined as a polygon using vector points

What’s in an Area
– A basic analysis that allows a given area from one theme later to be overlaid onto
data from other themes. A good example would be – what type of soil do we find
in the school grounds or what type of industrial uses has this area been put to in
the past 50 years.
• There are two methods of performing this type of analysis:
– Feature overlay – a simple technique to drop single or multiple points into an area
– Raster overlay – best used when characteristics of multiple themes are required to be examined because
each area is referenced and combined on a grid basis

Location Analysis
– The technique best used to identify a location for a new entity – eg retail outlet.

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 11

 GIS Applications

Crime mapping.
Historical geographic information systems.
GIS and hydrology - Video
Remote sensing applications.
Traditional knowledge GIS.
Public Participation GIS.
Road networking.
Wastewater and stormwater systems.

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 12

 GIS in Agriculture
1. Precision Farming – Harvesting more tonnes per acre while spending less on fertilizer using precision farming and software. (How to win the farm using GIS)
2. Disease Control – Combating the spread of pests through by identifying critical intervention areas and efficient targeting control interventions.
3. Swiss Alps Farming – Cultivating south-facing slopes in the Swiss Alps using aspect data because it shelters from cold and dry winds which is critical to successful crop growth.
4. 3D Scanners for Biomass – Measuring with laser accuracy 3D biomass using the FARO scanner.
5. Real-time Crop Yields – Shifting to real-time crop monitoring and targeted, automated responses with drones and precision watering sensors.
6. Current Food Security – Safeguarding food insecure populations by establishing underlying causes through satellite, mobile-collected and GIS data storage.
7. Agri-tourism – Navigating through crop mazes with GPS receivers in the developing field of agri-tourism.
8. Plant Hardiness – Defining distinct boundaries in which plants are capable of growing as defined by climatic conditions.
9. Machine Performance – Logging geographic coordinates of agricultural machinery in a farm field to better understand the spatially variability cost of field operation and machinery
performance.
10. Future Food Demand – Diagnosing the future food demand and planning how to fulfill the needs of a growing and increasingly affluent population.
11. Crop Assimilation Model – Simulating soil, water and crop processes to better understand crop productivity and monitoring using the Crop Assimilation Model tool in GRASS GIS.
12. Water Stress – Balancing the ratio of local withdrawal (demand) over the available water (supply).
13. Historical Agricultural Land – Plotting the historical and future farming trends served.
14. Hunger Map – Raising awareness about global hunger and places that are in need.
15. Agromap – Breaking down primary food crops by sub-national administrative districts and aggregating by crop production, area harvested and crop yields.
16. Crop Resilience to Climate Change – Adapting to climate change and shifting weather patterns by promote the continued health of your fields.
17. Crop Productivity – Calibrating crop productivity using indices like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to estimate global crop productivity. (Satellite Image
Corporation AgroWatch Green Vegetation Index)
18. Erosion-Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) – Prioritizing cropland conservation program implementations through “Model Simulation of Soil Loss, Nutrient Loss, and Change in
Soil Organic Carbon Associated with Crop Production”.
19. Agriculture Capability – Classifying the varying potential for agricultural production using the Canadian Land Inventory.
20. Property Pasture Management – Collecting soils types, fence lines, roads and other data for better management for more meaningful reports and maps.
21. Agricultural Pollution – Quantifying the impacts on climate and the environment from agricultural pollution.
22. Agriculture Revenue – Determining the Effective Opportunity Cost relating to deforestation and potential agricultural revenue with IDRISI GeOSIRIS for REDD.
23. Irrigation – Capturing irrigation infrastructure for land management decisions more than two-thirds of the world’s freshwater withdrawals are for irrigating crops.
24. Farm Preservation – Establishing farm priority zones by analyzing the local farming landscape and constructing criteria for high-quality farming areas.
25. Versatile Soil Moisture Budget – Simulating soil moisture conditions of cropland areas taking into account evapotranspiration, rainfall, runoff and other factors.
26. Drought – Minimizing the impact of drought by analyzing the spatial distribution of rainfall and real-time sensors like SMAP, SMOS and synthetic aperture radar.
27. CropScape – Estimating acreage of crop types and spatial distribution using satellite imagery with National Agricultural Statistics Services. (USDA NASS CropScape)
28. Crop Forecasting – Predicting crop yields using NDVI, weather, soil moisture, soil types and other parameters.
29. Organic Farming – Managing various sources of data for organic farming permits including tillage history, field inputs, crop rotations, and IPM on a field-by-field basis.
30. Agricultural Non-Point Source (AGNPS) Model – Predicting the effects of agriculture on water quality using Agricultural Non-Point Source pollution model in MapWindow
31. Drainage Ditches – Tracing farm field drainage lines using stereo imagery in MicroImages TNTMips. (TNT Stereo Viewing Tools)
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 13
32. Length of Growing Period – Meeting the full evapotranspiration demands of crops when average temperatures are greater or equal to 5°C and precipitation plus moisture store
in the soil exceed half the potential evapotranspiration.
 Precision Agriculture & GIS?
Involves assessing and reacting to field variability and
tailoring management actions, such as fertilization levels,
seeding rates and variety selection, to match changing field
conditions

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 14

 Data Structures
Overlaying or Map Stacking
Data Management

Mapstack online Slide 15

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018
Mapstack for Fun Software
 Soil Erosion examples in detail

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 16

 RISK of SOIL EROSION
Raw Data Thematic Maps Criteria

Bare
Cropping
Pasture
Native Scrub
Native Woodland
Remote Sensing Forest

0-3 %

3-8 %
8-16 %

16 % - above
Orthophotogrammetry

Alluvual Clay

Shallow A horizon
Deep A horizon

Slide 17
Exposed Bedrock
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018
Field Surveys
Criteria Indices Created Classification

Bare 3
Intense
Cropping
3
Pasture Disturbed
2
Native Scrub 1
Permanent
Native Woodland
0
Forest Stable
0

0-3 % Stable 0
3-8 % Slight 1
8-16 % Moderate 2
16 % - above Severe 3

Alluvual Clay None 0

Deep A horizon Slight 1

Shallow A horizon Moderate 2

Exposed Bedrock Severe 3
Slide 18
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018
 Classification Risk Indices / Decision Rules
Development
3
Intense
3 RISK DECISION RULE INDEX
Disturbed
2
Permanent 1 Veg = 0&1
Stable Condition
Stable
0 Stab = 0&1 0
CE = 0
0

Stable 0 Veg = 1,2,3

Slight Erosion
Stab = 1&2 1
Slight 1 Potential
CE = 1
Moderate 2

Severe 3 Veg = 2,3

Stab = 2,3
2
Mod Erosion
Potential CE = 2

None 0

Slight 1 Veg = 3 3
Stab = 2,3
Severe Erosion CE = 3
Moderate 2

Severe 3
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 19
 Classification
Risk Assessment
3
Intense
3
Disturbed
2
Permanent 1
0
Stable
0

Stable 0
Slight 1

Moderate 2

Severe 3

None 0

Slight 1

Moderate 2 Soil Erosion Risk Map

Severe 3
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 20
EROSION RISK INDEX

CLIMATE RISK INDEX Risk Assessment

ACIDITY RISK INDEX

ETC, ETC

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 21

FINANCIAL RISK INDICES
Potential Soil Erosion in SA
Project Aim – To produce a set of data that will allow potential
soil erosion to be predicted in the Willunga Basin area of South
Australia
To enable soil erosion management strategies to be
developed, a knowledge of where, and to what extent, soil
erosion is currently taking place is required
The factors causing soil erosion need to be determined so
that appropriate management strategies can be put in
place
Mapping of erosion allows us to specify the suitability of a
particular land use as a management strategy for eroded
land units
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 22
Data used

2-Date Multitemporal Landsat TM images for

determination current soil erosion in the area
Topographic map of scale 1:100000 for georeferencing
the satellite data of Willunga Basin.
Map of soil landscape units of the Willunga Basin
Rainfall data for the region

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 23

 Method Overview
Landsat Soil Landscape map Digitised image
TM image (DENR) (PISA) of slope classes

Radiometric Soil Erosion Classes Slope Class Map

correction Stable = 1 (Non eroded soil)
Slight = 2 (A1 Horizon removed)
Geometric
Moderate = 3 (A and A2 Horizons
correction
removed, rills, & scoured
areas)
Classification
Severe = 4 (A Horizon
Assigned Land Class removed, B Horizon
Bare Soil = 1 remains consisting of
Vegetation (Perm past) = 2 scoured /drift material)
Vegetation (forest) = 3
Very Severe = 5 (Only C Horizon
Vegetation (vine) = 3
remains and gullies)
Slopes are defined as:
S= 0 = 1 (non-eroded soil)
S= 0-3% = 2
(pot slight erosion)
S= 3-8% = 3
(pot moderate erosion)
S= 8-16% = 4
(pot severe erosion)
S= >16% = 5
(pot very severe erosion)

Land use map Spatial distribution Reclassified

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 24
or map layer of eroded units slope map
 Decision Rules
EROSION POTENTIAL RULES
1. Stable Condition 1. Land Class =1&2
Soil Erosion = 1 & 2
Slope Class = 0
2. Land Class = 0, 1, 2, & 3
2. Slight erosion potential Soil Erosion = 2
Slope Class = 1 & 2
3. Land Class =0&3
Soil Erosion = 2 & 3
3. Moderate erosion potential Slope Class = 2 & 3
4. Land Class = 0
Soil Erosion = 4 & 5
4. Severe erosion potential Slope Class = 3 & 4
5. Land Class = 0
5. Very Severe erosion potential Soil Erosion = 4 & 5
Slope Class = 4
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 25 Rainfall >650 = High Risk
 31
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 26
 Regional Agribusiness DSSs
Property Production Risk/Rural Credit DSS

Locational Ameliorant
Handbook

Land suitability for

Viticulture DSS

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 27

 Production/Credit Risk DSS Project
On-farm risks tend to focus on the variability, and hence the
uncertainty, of achieving optimal levels of production associated
with climate and environmental conditions pertaining to the land,
in combination with those associated with running a successful
business
From a rural financier’s perspective, however, the risk associated
with farming is focused primarily on his/her exposure as a lender.
– A reduction in either the primary producer’s debt-to-asset and debt-to-equity ratios,
or an increase in farm cash flow and the repayment capacity of the business, will
reduce a lender’s exposure to the risk of a bad debt.
– Decreasing the lender’s overall exposure is dependent on the primary producer
increasing serviceability on the loan and decreasing the debt-to-asset ratio (thereby
increasing security) on the property.
– This task is most successfully achieved by managing the landed asset to achieve
sustainable increases in production without unduly increasing the risk and diminishing
profit.
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 28
 Project

This study focused on the linkage between production and

environmental risk on-farm, and how this could be
objectively quantified to produce an indicator of long-term
production viability.
The aim of the study was to develop a Spatially based
Decision Support System (DSS) to aid rural financiers to
determine their residual risk after a quantification of
production and environmental risk was included in their
financial assessment criteria.

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 29

 DSS
The DSS was developed based on:
– individual soil attribute “risk surfaces” of acidity, sodicity and
salinity created using geostatistical modelling
– plus the costs associated with ameliorating those risks given
current recommendations in South Australia.
– Acidity, sodicity and salinity were chosen because they are
significant causes of production loss in Australia and have been
recognised as the “sleepers” in land degradation

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 30

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 31
AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 32
 Tables

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 33

 DSS

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 34

 Land Suitability Mapping
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/soil/soil-
data/land-evaluation

Qld Govt

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 35

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 36
Classic GIS-type outputs
Thematic Mapping
– Adjacency (what is next to what)
– Containment (what is enclosed by what)
– Proximity (how close is something to something else)
Contour Maps
Digital Elevation Maps (DEM/DTM)
– digital representation of the continuous variation of relief
over space
Assets Spatial Databases

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 37

GIS + Modelling Outputs
Thematic Maps
– Change Detection
– Soil Carbon dynamics
• in response to climate change
– Feed Deficit Alert
– Risk assessment
• Soil erosion under different climate / crops
• Salinity / sodicity / acidity
• Weed Infestation

Spatial Decision Support Systems

– Farm/Regional Management/Planning
– Environmental Planning
– Epidemiological Assessment (eg Rhizoctonia)

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 38

AGRC3036 Precision Agriculture Semester 1 2018 Slide 39