DEPARTMENT of SOIL SCIENCE
GIS in Teaching and Learning in Soil
Science
Dr. Jeffrey G. White, Asst. Prof.
Dept. of Soil Science-NCSU
http://www.precisionag.ncsu.edu
SSC-CS-BAE
Courses with GIS Instructional Components
SSC/BAE/CS 440 : GIS in Production Agriculture
David Crouse (& Jeff White, SSC), Randy Weisz & Ron Heiniger (Crop
Science), Gary Roberson (BAE)
SGIS: precision agriculture GIS, incorporates ESRI's ArcObjects and ArcSDE
technology
GIS as core technology for precision agriculture, site-specific management
SSC590M: Remote Sensing Applications in Soil Science and
Agriculture
Jeff White (SSC)
ArcView Image Analysis Module
Illustrate basic principals and applications of remotely sensed image analysis
Courses Using GIS for Case Studies
SSC551: Soil Chemistry
Dean Hesterberg (w/ Rob
Austin, Spatial Info. Research
Lab.)
Group projects to develop in-
situ chemical treatment for
immobilizing soil contaminants
at remediation sites
SSC342: Soil Fertility Lab
John Havlin, Eugene
Kamprath, Nathan Nelson
“Balancing the P Budget of a
North Carolina Swine Farm”
NCSU Geospatial and Precision
Technologies Regional Education Initiative
GPTREI: David Crouse, PI; Jared Jenkins, Ext’n. Assoc.
Funded by USDA-IFAFS
Objectives:
Initiate new and expand existing extension programs to include
geospatial and precision agriculture technologies
Enhance problem-solving skills in students and agricultural
professionals
Enable learners worldwide to access GIS technology education
through an open courseware Internet training program.
Info: http://www.precisionag.ncsu.edu/GPTREI/index.htm
“OpenAg” portal: http://gptrei.soil.ncsu.edu/
The “GIS Academy”
Series of extension short courses designed to meet
needs of precision agriculture & GIS practitioners
Hands-on GIS activities in CALS GIS Education Lab.:
GIS 101: Introduction to GPS and GIS
GIS 111: Using GIS Resources on the Internet
GIS 121: Field Data Collection Using GPS
GIS 131: Remote Sensing in Soil Science and Crop Production
GIS 201: GIS for Managing Spatially Variable Soil Properties
GIS 301: Data Management for Site-Specific Agriculture
Soil Science: CALS GIS Education Lab
20 Windows XP workstations for students
1 Windows workstation & projector for instructor
ArcGIS, ArcView, and SGIS
GIS Lab: Current Data Holdings
Digital county soil maps for most of NC
Digital soil attribute data
National MUIR: Map Unit Interpretation Records
SSURGO: Soil Survey Geographic Database
Statewide summer and winter Landsat TM imagery
'93, '94, '95, Winter 2000
Statewide SPOT panchromatic (10 m) imagery
Custom-developed, hydrologically enforced DEM maps
Statewide EPA Reach File 3 hydrography
Numerous derived data layers to characterize
environmental risks of N, P, and pesticides
SSC-CALS Spatial Information Laboratory
Data Distribution System
Internet-based GIS data distribution system
MOA with NCCGIA to serve their data
Provide relevant natural resources GIS data layers to
NC Cooperative Extension Service personnel, CALS
students, faculty.
Data layers queried by county:
1m resolution black and white DOQQs
soil surveys
hydrography data
digital elevation data
primary streets and roads
http://www.spatiallab.ncsu.edu/sirl
Spatial Info. Research Lab Activities
Terrain Analysis at Multiple Scales
Effects on terrain attribute calculation and quantitative soil-
landscape modeling.
NC Nutrient Management Database Project
Internet-based nutrient utilization reporting system
Provides assessment of animal waste nutrients and waste
nutrient carrying capacities of NC counties
www.spatiallab.ncsu.edu/nutman
NC Soils Explorer
Geospatial & Precision Technologies Regional Education
Initiative
Custom designed ArcIMS application for on-line soils
exploration. >90 GB spatial data for all 100 counties
http://arcims.soil.ncsu.edu:8080/Website/CtyMaps/index.htm
Can now identify
soil properties
1 meter color infrared
with soils overtop
GIS in Graduate Learning & Research
Erosion prediction modeling (Amber Moore / McLaughlin)
Predicting P losses from agricultural soils (Nathan Nelson / Mikkelsen)
Optimizing N mgt. using remote sensing for corn (Ravi Sripada / Heiniger
-White) and wheat (Dianne Farrer / Weisz)
Assessing effects on groundwater NO3 of site-specific vs. uniform N mgt.
(Nan Hong / White)
Characterizing clayey aquitards for wetland restoration using ground-
penetrating radar (Ryan Szuch / White - Vepraskas)
GIS in Graduate Learning & Research
Using fieldscale apparent soil electrical conductivity to characterize
soil spatial variability for site-specific agriculture (JiSu Bang / White)
Using LIDAR DEMs to study relationships between terrain attributes
and soil C sequestration (Eric Anderson / Thompson)
Watershed-scale terrain evolution modeling (Chris Thaxton [PY] /
McLaughlin)
Evaluating relationships between crop yield, soil chemical
properties, and soil map units (Mindy Lohman / Osmond & White)
Evaluating spatial variability of residual soil N for improved fertilizer
management in corn (Jared Williams / Crozier)
Questions or Comments?