Agricultural Research and GIS

Necessity might well be the mother of invention, and agricultural science is no exception. Even though research into agriculture has been carried out for millenia, increasing demand for agricultural products caused by population growth and a growing environmental awareness means that research must be continued. Spatial analysis facilitated by implementing GIS tools offers researchers new and exciting approaches to answer some of mankind's oldest questions.

ESRI software offers scalable solutions for researchers at National Agricultural Research Services (NARS), universities, and international research centers. From field-based products like ArcPad to the server level Spatial Database Engine (ArcSDE), data can be collected and managed. The Internet Map Server (ArcIMS) now allows research sites separated by great geographical distances to be connected in real time, and ArcGIS provides all of the necessary tools to analyze the spatial components of agricultural data sets. Below are some examples where agricultural research is benefiting from implementing a spatial aspect to research.