Lidar is a sophisticated remote sensing technology that can provide high-resolution, three-dimensional, spatial data about the earth. As a result, it may be used to concentrate on applications that require position or location, such as agricultural.
Lidar technology applies to various industries and sectors that professionals rely on this new technology to produce results. Lidar is used extensively for its benefits that it can provide the agricultural sector.
Much like in farming, in archeology now, lidar can expedite the speed of which a site can be mapped out. Lidar is now turning something that took days to accomplish and doing it in minutes with far less manpower.
One of the biggest reasons is that lidar can penetrate even heavy vegetation.
There is a surprising amount of variety of lidar usage for agriculture, some examples are listed below.
1. 3D Terrain Modeling
Lidar technology is instrumental in developing 3D models of farmland and helps come up with accurate maps of the natural resources around that area. With this data, the farmer can then be able to discern the exact terrain of the farm and identify the water catchment area and the flow of erosion.
Same as in construction field, drones equipped with a lidar scanning system can scan entire plot of land in minutes with ease.
2. Determination of Soil Type
Lidar technology can also be used to collect data that can identify the exact soil type that certain farmland has. This information is important to the farmer because it helps the farmer know which type of crops can be grown on that farm and what fertilizer should be applied.
With geospatial measurement data you can learn about the quality of the topsoil and also the type of soil present on the farmland.
3. Agricultural Planning and Management
Lidar data can be used for the planning and management of agricultural farms. Using this technology, the farmer can be able to know the suitability of land for a particular crop and the best time to plant.
4. Precision Agriculture
Data from lidar is instrumental in precision agriculture. Precision agriculture is the planning of a particular farm site with the intention of increasing the productivity of this site by improving overall yields.
5. Land Mapping
The data from lidar can also be used to map a farmland and come up with the exact design and map of the land. This data will also include the shape and terrain of the farmland. With this data, farmers will be able to know what to plant and how to plant crops on that farmland.
6. Crop Yield Forecasting
Lidar data has been used in forecasting the expected yields from a farm. This data generated by this technology helps farmers know the suitability of a particular crop on a given land based on the expected returns of the yields at the end of the season.
7. Determination of soil type
Experts have been able to determine the soil type of a particular area. The data collected has the ability to generate the exact soil type and the soil content. Experts can then use this data to advise farmers on the best possible farming practice.
8. Prevention of Soil Erosion
Lidar technology has been instrumental in preventing soil erosion through 3D mapping and modeling of a given farmland. By getting the exact terrain of the farm and knowing the contours of a farm, farmers are able to come up with preventive measures to reduce or eliminate soil erosion.
9. Land Segmentation
Another important use of Lidar in agriculture is land segmentation. Through lidar technology, experts have been able to interpret the data to show the land patterns and use the information to segment the land for different uses.
10. Crop Analysis
Lidar can also be used to carry out general crop analysis and determine the suitability of the crop to thrive in a particular area. This can be done through estimation of the crop quality and measuring this against the ideal standards.
11. Field Management
Lidar data can also be used to provide general field management services. These may include services like irrigation and the amount of water required to irrigate or how many times in a year a crop should be planted on given farmland.
12. Controlling Crop Yield
Lidar technology can also be used to control the overall crop yield in a given season. This can be done through precision agriculture where a farmer can predict the crop yield and implement measures to increase the overall yield.
13. Production Zones
Lidar can also help experts in identifying potential production zones in an area. The data collected through this technology can help select an area in the farmland where production is likely to be higher than the rest of the land.
14. Detecting Crop Damage
Lidar technology can be used to determine the extent to which crops in an area have been damaged and the cause of the damage. This can help farmers come up with mechanisms to prevent the damage and hence increase yields.
15. Crop Categorization
Because Lidar technology allows for the more precise categorization of crops, it is now considerably easier to identify and select the will be the most suitable sites for planting them.
Certain crops can thrive placed in one area of land but respond poorly in another.
Conclusion
The use of Lidar data in agriculture has increased over the years with more farmers and agricultural experts understanding its potential. The benefits of using this technology are numerous and have the potential to revolutionize the way we farm. Farmers can use this data to increase yields, control crop damage, segment their land, forecast expected crop yields and much more.
The uses of lidar keep expanding.