Geographic Information Sciences
Application of geospatial and precision technologies is important to the
productivity, profitability, and sustainability of agriculture as well as the
protection of our natural resources. The increasingly complex nature of
soil-based problems dictates that current and future agricultural and natural
resource managers are equipped with the tools and skills necessary for answering
questions about production and environmental problems that change across the
landscape.
Historically, soil and crop management technologies have relied on uniform application of inputs, even though spatially variable field and soil characteristics affect water and nutrient availability, which ultimately produce spatially variable plant growth and yield. The agricultural industry has recognized the potential benefits of sub-field management in which farm fields are managed on 1 to 2 acre blocks and inputs are based on crop needs in each block. But with recent developments in technologies for determining a location in a field, storing and retrieving data, monitoring yields, and variably applying inputs, farming at an even finer scale is now possible. Precision farming involves assessment of the spatial variability in soil and crop characteristics, and subsequent management of this variability.
Advances in precision agriculture requires adequately trained agricultural advisors that can collect, manage, analyze, display, and interpret geospatial data. Knowledge of global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, variable input application, and spatial yield measurements are essential to be successful. Natural resource managers and agricultural professionals can now get training in geospatial applications and related technologies through our short course series, the NC State University GIS Academy. Each short course, offered in cooperation with the Departments of Crop Science and Biological and Agricultural Engineering, uses a combination of lectures, computer training, and real case studies to enhance problem-solving skills.
At the center of our Academic and Extension training programs in geographic
information sciences (GISc) is the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' GIS
Education Laboratory. 
This
facility is centrally located on NC State University's main campus with
day-to-day operations coordinated through
Dr. David Crouse in the Department of Soil Science. In the GIS Education
Laboratory, each student workstation is configured with relevant software to
access raw and processed spatial data and thematic geographic information. Under
a memorandum of agreement with the North Carolina Center for Geographic
Information and Analysis, the GIS Education Lab has real-time access to a major
portion of the state geographic databases. In addition, local servers within the
GIS Education Laboratory maintain data for a wide range of case studies used in
hands-on exercises. The GIS Education Laboratory serves as the instructional
facility used in SSC/CS/BAE440:
GIS in Production Agriculture, co-instructed by David Crouse, Gary Roberson in
the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and Randy Weisz and
Ron Heiniger in the Department of Crop Science. The facility is also used in
Dr. Jeff White's
SSC545: Remote
Sensing Applications in Soil Science and Agriculture.
In addition to our highly effective GIS outreach program, the Department of Soil Science is dedicated to the advancement of the GISc through our field research programs in precision agriculture and remote sensing. Ground- and surface water nitrogen (N) contamination from southeastern Coastal Plain agriculture is a regulatory and social issue threatening regional crop production. In an effort to improve crop production efficiency and water quality, a group of scientist with Departments of Soil Science and Crop Science have been studying remote sensing and precision technologies to optimize nitrogen management and water quality.
This project will develop and transfer effective, science-based techniques to
improve agronomic nitrogen use efficiency, increase productivity and farm profit,
while reducing N contamination of ground- and surface waters. Remote sensing and
ground sampling of soil properties, crop biomass, N, and water status are used
for farm-scale in-season site-specific wheat and corn N management strategies
based on an improved understanding of how soils, soil moisture, groundwater,
fertilizer N, and crops interact across the landscape and over time. Ultimately,
uniform and site-specific soil- and crop-informed N management strategies will be
incorporated into nutrient recommendation decision support tools for developing
optimal N application timing and rate recommendations.