MASTER SEMINAR ON

USE OF DIGITAL AGRICULTURAL APPROACHES FOR SOIL, WATER AND

PLANT

PRESENTED BY
SAGAR BHASKARRAO UGHADE
M.Sc. (Agri.) II Yr

Seminar Incharge Research Guide

Dr. N.M. Konde Dr. N. M. Konde
Dr. A.B. Age

DEPARTMENT OF SOIL SCIENCE & AGRIL. CHEMISTRY

POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola
Contents

 Introduction to Remote Sensing

 Application of RS in soil management and plant health

 Introduction to Geographical Information System

 Application of GIS in soil management and plant health

 Salient Findings

 Conclusion
 Remote Sensing

Remote Sensing is an art and

science of obtaining information about
an object or feature without physically
coming in contact with that object or
feature.( Lillesand and Kiefer, 1987)

Source: N. Mohammad,2018
Remote Sensing

• RS is the science and art of acquiring spectral, spatial and

temporal information about material, objects, area, or
phenomenon without coming into their physical contact.
• In RS, transfer of information is carried out by means of
electromagnetic radiation, expressed as EMR.
• Remote Sensing Satellites:
1. TRIOS Series
2. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
3. GMS (Geo-Synchronous Meteorological Satellite)
4. Landsat
5. RADARSAT (Radar Satellite)
6. IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellite)
 Types of Remote Sensing
Based on Source of energy

Active Passive
 Active Sensing
 The sensor emits radiation which is directed toward the target to be investigated.
The radiation reflected from that target is detected and measured by the sensor.

Advantages:- the ability to obtain measurements anytime, regardless of the time of

day or season.
require the generation of a fairly large amount of energy to adequately illuminate
targets
E.g. a Jased fluorosensor and
a synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
 Passive Sensing:

The sun prevides a very convenient source of energy for remote sensing.
The sun's energy is either reflected, or absorbed and then reemitted.
Remote sensing systems which measure energy that is naturally available
are called passive sensors.
 Passive sensors can only be used to detect energy when the naturally
occurring energy is available.
Application of Remote Sensing in management of soil:

1. Remote Sensing on soil salinity:

Remote sensing play an important role in detecting, monitoring and mapping the
salt affected surface features.

Sources of remote sensing data :

• Aerial photographs
• Airborne videography and digital multispectral cameras
• Satellite and airborne sensors covering the thermal infrared
• Microwave sensing
• Hyperspectral sensing

With the help of sensors it is possible to determine relationships between reflectance

and salt type. (Metternicht,2003)
2. Assessment of soil erosion by RUSLE model using Remote Sensing

• RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) is the method widely

used to predict long term rates of inter-rill and rill erosion from field or
farm size units subject to different management practices.
• Indian Remote sensing satellite, linear image self scanning sensor-3
and digital elevation model by cartographic satellite are the sources of
data.
• The average annual soil loss estimated using RUSLE is about 473,339
tons per hectare in the Nethravathi Basin. (Ganasri et al., 2016)
• Jazouli et al.(2017) estimated the annual soil loss at Ikkour
watershed, Morocco using RUSLE model with help of Remote Sensing.
 Fig.2 Soil Erosion RUSLE Model using RS

Location: Ikkour Watershed in Morocco source: A.E. Jazouli,2017

3) Moisture determination in soil using remote sensing

• Surface soil moisture (SSM) has a major influence on a range of

hydrological processes at a variety of spatiotemporal scales, including
runoff, erosion, solute transport and land-atmosphere interactions.
• The satellite sensors that can currently meet the spatial resolution and
coverage required for catchment-scale soil management are active
microwave sensors.
• SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) is most common imaging active
microwave configuration .
• SAR sensors such as ENVISAT-ASAR, RADARSAT-2, ALOS,
TerraSAR-X are capable of estimating surface soil moisture.

(Anderson & Croft,2009)

Application of Remote Sensing on plant health

1) Crop condition assessment

• Remote sensing play an important role in agriculture by providing timely

spectral information which can be used for assessing the Bio-physical
indicators of plant health.
• The drought monitoring through satellite based information and the
use of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Vegetation
Condition Index (VCI) have been accepted globally for identifying
agricultural drought in different regions.
• Crop growth and its condition are often characterized through the use of
various vegetative indices such as reflectance ratio, NDVI, transformed
vegetation index and greenness index.

(Rathika et al., 2019)

2) Monitoring of vegetative cover
• Remote Sensing play a vital role in the areas of crop classification, crop
acreage estimation and yield assessment.
• Hyper spectral data significantly improve the characterization,
modelling and mapping of crops and vegetation.
• The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), vegetation condition
index (VCI), leaf area index (LAI), General Yield Unified Reference Index
(GYURI) and Temperature Crop Index (TCI) are all examples of indices
that has been used in mapping, monitoring and assessment of
vegetation health and productivity. (Shanmugapriya et al., 2019)
• Holman et al.(2019) conducted experiment on wheat crop at research
field at Ferrara, Italy and crop monitoring was done with NDVI using
Remote Sensing.
 Fig.5 NDVI of Experimental Farm of Wheat

Location: UK Source: Holman et al.,2019

3) Crop Evapo-transpiration

• Estimating of Evapo-transpiration is essential for assessing the irrigation

scheduling, water and energy balance computations, determining crop
water stress index (CWSI), climatological and metrological purposes.
• Batra et al.(2006) estimated evaporative fraction (EF), defined as the
ratio of ET and available radiant energy, by successfully using AVHRR
and MODIS data.
• Dutta et al.(2015) used NOAA-AVHRR NDVI data for monitoring the
spatial-temporal extent of agricultural drought in Rajasthan.
4) Pest and disease infestation

• The remote sensing approach in assessing and monitoring insect

defoliation has been used to relate differences in spectral responses to
chlorosis, yellowing of leaves and foliage reduction over a given time
period.
• William et al.(1979) evaluated different types of vegetation indices on
Landsat imagery acquired before and after defoliation to differentiate
between healthy and unhealthy vegetation cover.
• Mirik et al.(2012) reported that the Landsat 5 TM image can be
accurately detect and quantify disease for site-specific Wheat Streak
Mosaic disease management in wheat crop.
 Geographical
Information System

A Geographical Information System is a facility for preparing, presenting

and interpreting facts that pertain to the surface of the earth.
(C. Dana Tomlin)
Geographical Information System (GIS)

• The GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware designed

system to create, manipulate, analyze and display all types of
geographically or spatially referenced database, efficiently.

• GIS is a means of creating and editing the list of different setups to

display their records in the form of tables, graphics and maps.

• It is a geo-based or geocoded information systems.

COMPONENTS OF GIS:

1. Input System: It includes encoding, collection of phone listing and

census information by geographic area-block groups or tracks. Its
function is to collect the requisite data.
2. Computer hardware and software systems: It is storage, retrieval
and analysis of data using different softwares such as Arc View,
Map Info, Geo Media, Land View etc. Its functions are store the
data, analysis of data, display the data manipulation on computer
monitor.
3. Output System: The output is the map showing risk zones,
vulnerable population and phone listing in vulnerable areas. Its
function is to generate hard copy of maps, images and other types
of outputs.
Application of GIS in management of soil

1) Geostatistical Analysis of Soil Micronutrients based on GIS

• GIS is extensively used for the production of soil fertility map of an area
that helps to understand the soil fertility status spatially and
temporally, which will be useful to formulate the site-specific
suggestions for application of appropriate quantity of fertilizers.
• Spatial variability maps of various micronutrients prepared with the
help of Kriging technique.
• Semi Variogram models are useful to characterize the spatial pattern of
continuous and categorical soil attributes. (Kambale et al., 2016)
• Jagadeeswari (2017) studied available Fe status of Dharmapuri
district of Tamil Nadu and made fertility map of available Fe for
Dharmapuri district.
 Fig.10 Fertility Map of Soil Micronutrient

Location:Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Source: D. Jagadeeswari,2017

2) To Estimate Soil Erosion Using RUSLE

• GIS is an important tool to identify and map the

degraded lands.
• GIS use RUSLE for the Quantitative and Qualitative
assessment of soil erosion intensity for the
conservation management.
• GIS has given a very useful environment to
undertake the task of data compilation and analysis
within a short period at very high resolution.
• Nehra(2020) estimated soil erosion vulnerability in
Bilaspur Watershed using RUSLE model.
Fig.9 Watershed in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh Source: S. Nehra,2020
3) Groundwater potential modelling using GIS

• Groundwater potential models obtained via the dual use of drainage

density and drainage proximity yields more reliable results in
comparison to models using drainage density and drainage proximity
alone.
• These models helps to determine groundwater and their availability for
several uses.
• L. Surinaido(2021) studied the Maheshwaram Watershed in Telengana
and estimated groundwater potential in Maheshwaram Watershed with
help of Thematic maps using GIS.
 Fig.11 Groundwater Potential Mapping using GIS

Maheshwaram Watershed in Telangana

Source: L. Surinaidu,2021
Application of GIS in Plant Health

1) Crop monitoring and yield forecasting using GIS

• GIS based agricultural monitoring is an important component of food

security information system which provides reliable and timely crop
area estimates and crop production forecasts at national, regional and
global scales.
• Formulated indices (SI-NDVI) from spatial-temporal Sentinel 2 images
as well as other ancillary environmental data like groundwater
condition, soil quality give more reliable model on crop development
and predicting yield.

(Mamatkulov et al., 2021)

2) GIS-based spatial nitrogen management

• GeoSim Nitrogen Prescription Model (GeoSim NPM) is useful in

stimulating optimum N prescriptions.
• An open source software package has been developed that can be
used in conjunction with GeoSim open source software and QGIS to
calibrate the CERES-Maize model to stimulate spatial yield
variability and evaluate the economic consequences of variable rate
N and plant population prescriptions.

(Memic et al.,2018)
Salient Findings

• Vegetative Cover Index for Maharashtra State had been developed for
assessment of vegetative cover.
• Abiotic stress can be assessed and monitored with help of Remote
Sensing.
• Annual soil loss can be estimated with the help of RUSLE model.
• GIS had helped to develop soil fertility maps of micronutrients and
given site-specific suggestions for application of appropriate quantity
of fertilizers.
• GIS had helped to develop groundwater potential models using
thematic maps for estimating groundwater potential in given area.
• Crop yield can be monitored with the help of Remote sensing and
GIS.
Conclusion

• RS and GIS helps in soil management through assessment of

soil erosion, studying soil surface properties, soil mapping,
Groundwater modelling, Geostatistical analysis of
micronutrients and checking soil salinity.

• RS and GIS helps in management of plant health through

monitoring and assessment of crop, detecting nutrient and
water stress in plants, weeds and disease identification, yield
forecasting and nutrient management in crops.
THANK YOU