Arkansas row crop producers are using geospatial technologies for a wide variety of applications including accurately locating rice levees that follow the ground contour to fun uses such as laying out a corn maze design.

Producers also are using it routinely in modern machinery and management decision-making for production operations, according to Dharmendra Saraswat, assistant professor and Extension geospatial technologies engineer with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Geospatial technologies is a term widely associated with a range of modern tools, such as global positioning system (GPS), remote sensing (satellite/aerial images/LIDAR), field sensors, and geographic information systems (GIS)/mapping software, that allow for capturing, storing, processing and displaying a large amount of information for a specific location on the earth’s surface.

“These technologies have greatly enhanced the ability of our producers to apply crop inputs such as seed, fertilizer and chemicals based on field requirements. The technologies also allow producers to keep accurate records of input use,” Saraswat says. “This ultimately results in improved management decisions based on proper analysis. 

“It’s no surprise that throughout the country, row crop producers, as well as high-value fruit crops (grapes, citrus, cranberries) and vegetable producers, are enthusiastic about adoption of these technologies for increased efficiency in their operations,” he says.

New field sensors such as Greenseeker, for applying variable-rate nitrogen based on crop condition, and the mobile service platform (MSP) sensor for measuring variable soil pH by collecting denser samples than traditional sampling methods, are among a few field-scale sensor-based technologies being observed with great interest by producers in the state,” Saraswat says.

Saraswat had one note of caution: people interested in new technologies should spend some time learning the technologies’ strengths and limitations.

Producers may be disappointed when they assume they can obtain the best location accuracy merely by switching on a $40,000 to $50,000 Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS receiver or remotely differentiate crop stress and identify its cause by using multispectral sensors.  “Your excitement about technology may be dampened because of the failure to achieve over-expected results,” Saraswat says.

“Therefore, it’s extremely important to follow proper procedures or make informed choices about technologies that are suitable for your application,” he says. 

Saraswat says that although the numbers of growers using geospatial technologies for recreational applications (such as laying out corn mazes) aren’t large now, they’re pioneers in promoting agriculture tourism.

He praised Arkansas service providers, saying they’re “equally interested in using geospatial technologies to improve their record-keeping and provide quality services to their clients.

“Earlier this year, I conducted a number of workshops on getting the most out of Google maps for members of the Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association. The purpose was to train them in using freely available mapping tools for differentiating fields with different crops through color-coding and annotation,” Sarawat says. “The addition of available applications to the mapped fields gave them the ability to quickly measure linear distances and areas.

“The two-hour workshop provided them with enough knowledge to make their operations more efficient without a recurring monthly or annual expenditure on commercial mapping software,” he says. 

Saraswat is optimistic about the future of geospatial technologies in the state,

“Arkansas is a leader in creating and providing geospatial data to the public,” he says. “As more and more producers and people in general become aware of the benefits of that information, better decisions will be made, hopefully bringing more prosperity.”

Readers with questions can contact Saraswat at dsaraswat@uaex.edu or call at (501) 671-2191 (office).