integrating gis and knowledge management resources in indian agriculture

International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 – 6502(Print), ISSN 0976 –

6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 1, January- February (2013)

258

INTEGRATING GIS AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

RESOURCES IN INDIAN AGRICULTURE: SOCIAL AND NATIONAL

CONCERN FOR INFORMATION SHARING

Prof. (Ms) Manisha Shinde-Pawar

Assistant Professor,

Faculty of Management (Information Technology), Bharati Vidyapeeth Univerisity, Pune,

IMRDA, SANGLI

Prof. (Mr) ChandraShekhar Suryawanshi

Associate Professor, Faculty of Management (Marketing), Bharati Vidyapeeth Univerisity, Pune,

IMRDA, SANGLI

ABSTRACT

Indian Agriculture which is waiting for revolutionary growth in crop productivity and

agriculture related business is looking forward to implement the knowledge by next

generation youth handy for computerized technology. Agriculture and concerned resources

had been seen of rare interest of technical knowledge creators to implement technology in

this field though this is main stream line in national level growth of India.

The ability and usability of both Geographic Information System and Knowledge

Management and Mobile computing has become unavoidable part of Indian life system.

Young farmers need proper guidance, frequent knowledge and direction to increase

productivity, reduce cost, and to get control on hazardous risks. The Researcher would like to

explore that by integrating GIS, Knowledge Management and Mobile Computing Services to

provide social and national concern for sharing of information can help to these farmers

which are handy to use for these techniques, to efficiently get benefited and to avoid risk.

Keywords: Indian Agriculture, Knowledge Management, Geographic Information System,

Mobile computing.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT (IJM) ISSN 0976-6502 (Print)

ISSN 0976-6510 (Online)

Volume 4, Issue 1, January- February (2013), pp. 258-265

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Journal Impact Factor (2013): 6.9071 (Calculated by GISI) www.jifactor.com

IJM © I A E M E



259

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Geographic information system:

Geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store,

manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. The acronym GIS is

sometimes used for geographical information science or geospatial information studies to

refer to the academic discipline or career of working with geographic information systems.

In the simplest terms, GIS is the merging of cartography, statistical analysis, and database

technology.

A GIS can be thought of as a system—it digitally creates and "manipulates" spatial

areas that may be jurisdictional, purpose, or application-oriented. Generally, a GIS is custom-

designed for an organization. Hence, a GIS developed for an application, jurisdiction,

enterprise, or purpose may not be necessarily interoperable or compatible with a GIS that has

been developed for some other application, jurisdiction, enterprise, or purpose. What goes

beyond a GIS is a spatial data infrastructure, a concept that has no such restrictive

boundaries.

1.2 Knowledge management

Knowledge management (KM) comprises a range of strategies and practices used in

an organization to identify, create, represent, distribute, and enable adoption of insights and

experiences. Such insights and experiences comprise knowledge, either embodied in

individuals or embedded in organizations as processes or practices.

KM includes courses taught in the fields of business administration, information

systems, management, and library and information sciences. More recently, other fields have

started contributing to KM research; these include information and media, computer science,

public health, and public policy.

1.3 Mobile computing:

Mobile computing is human–computer interaction by which a computer is expected to

be transported during normal usage. Mobile computing involves mobile communication,

mobile hardware, and mobile software. Communication issues include ad-hoc and

infrastructure networks as well as communication properties, protocols, data formats and

concrete technologies. Hardware includes mobile devices or device components. Mobile

software deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile applications.

1.4 Agriculture in India:

The economic contribution of agriculture to India's GDP is steadily declining with the

country's broad-based economic growth. Still, agriculture is demographically the broadest

economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of India.

International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976

6510(Online), Volume 4, Issue 1, January

Preliminary estimates suggest that in 2009

32% compared to 37% in 2004-

productive, competitive, and diversified agricultural sector and facilitate rural

entrepreneurship and employment. Encouraging policies that promote competition in

agricultural marketing will ensure that farmers receive better prices."

—World Bank: "India Country Overview 2011"

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1 Concept of Integration

The proposed integration

architecture, evaluation and application of

management and Mobile Computing in

communication technologies (IT) in the rural agricultural field

agriculture growth for economic contribution to India’s GDP

the researcher would like to represent logical ext

change and evolve as farmers understanding of the area grows.

Figure No. 1

As shown in the above Figure No. 1

the geo-spatial information and knowledge of other stakeholders, skillful experts

captured, organized to generate knowledge by applying strategies to identify key entities

facts helpful to take decisions in time variant problematic situation

usability of mobile devices is popular among young farmers mobile communication system

will be used to disseminate and share

Geographic Information System

Mobile Communication

Knowledge Management

International Journal of Management (IJM), ISSN 0976 – 6502(Print), ISSN 0976


260

Preliminary estimates suggest that in 2009-10 the combined all India poverty rate was

-05. Going forward, it will be essential for India to build a

productive, competitive, and diversified agricultural sector and facilitate rural


agricultural marketing will ensure that farmers receive better prices."

World Bank: "India Country Overview 2011"

The proposed integration involves the conceptualization, modeling, construction of

, evaluation and application of Geographic Information System, Knowledge

management and Mobile Computing in innovative ways to use information and

ologies (IT) in the rural agricultural field, with a primary focus on

growth for economic contribution to India’s GDP. By implementing such system,

the researcher would like to represent logical extending of computerized solution

understanding of the area grows.

Integrated Agriculture Information System

As shown in the above Figure No. 1, Geographic Information System will create and sense

and knowledge of other stakeholders, skillful experts

captured, organized to generate knowledge by applying strategies to identify key entities

facts helpful to take decisions in time variant problematic situations and as understanding and


and share the generated knowledge.

Mobile Communication

6502(Print), ISSN 0976 –

10 the combined all India poverty rate was

05. Going forward, it will be essential for India to build a

productive, competitive, and diversified agricultural sector and facilitate rural, non-farm


construction of

Geographic Information System, Knowledge

innovative ways to use information and

, with a primary focus on

By implementing such system,

computerized solution scope to

Information System

, Geographic Information System will create and sense

and knowledge of other stakeholders, skillful experts, that will be

captured, organized to generate knowledge by applying strategies to identify key entities,

understanding and




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2.2 Model of Proposed Integrated System:

Figure No. 2:

Mobile Computing

Farmers seeking Information

Mostly accuracy of judging and predicting to soil, regional demand, atmosphere,

transportation and availability of all resources depends upon experience and skill farmer will

have, and that too may be specific to general situations so inclusive of chances of disasters

and risks.

Model as shown in above Figure No.2 can be implemented to serve the basis to satisfy

different needs for information related to agriculture. Young Farmers always tries to seek the

accurately predicted information to take proper decision which will lead in increased crop

productivity and optimized cost.

2.3 Architecture

The integrated framework for data/knowledge repository tier maintains a store for

agricultural data and a knowledge base where agricultural information knowledge can be

captured, represented, shared, and reused by using latest technologies to achieve or maintain

level of crop productivity by getting accurate and timely information.

As shown in the Figure No. 3 below, architecture can be composed of different four different

components as:

GIS

Hydrograph, soil,

structures,

Transports,

wetlands,

administrative

boundaries

Knowledge

Management

Documents,

Database, Reality,

Constraints…

Generates

Mobile

Devices

Geo Sphere

Agri-

Stakeholders

Atmosphere

sensing

Regional

Characters



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2.3.1 Application Tier

Application Tier will sense the real time data, conditions, risk, and cost to map it to

models to serve to middleware layer.

2.3.2 Common Middleware Services Tier

Common Middleware Services will mainly integrate the data with conditions and

risk-cost facts based on which data will be organized by applying different strategies

and practices to generate knowledge. This will help to create structural models, to

formulate plan for repository and activities to be performed on repository.

Figure No. 3: Architecture of Integration Framework

GIS Interface Tier

Applications Tier

Common Middleware Services Tier

Data/ Knowledge Management Tier

Mapping

Tools Condition

Assessment

Modeling Real Time

Data

Report

Generation

Agricultural Resources and

Experts Opinion Repository

Agricultural Real Time Data

Repository

Data

Integration

Knowledge

management

Modeling Maintenance

& Planning Operations

Cost Risk

End Users Tier

Mobile Devices All Stakeholders



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2.3.3 Data/ Knowledge Management Tier

Integrated System now will lead in bifurcated repositories based on number of

elements involves in process of decision. Meaningful Data here can be real support

for farmers in their weak horizons.

2.3.4 End User Tier

End users for system will be not only the farmers but also all other stakeholders

related process, cultivation, selling and distribution as well as agricultural experts.

Either they can use mobile devices, laptop or computerized technology.

2.4 Case

A prototype representing problem case is discussed with implementation of framework.

2.4.1 Problem statement

Quantify Grape Maturity at Optimum level to avoid light effect on concentration

causing quality changes.

2.4.2 Case Summary

As stated above, when a grape crop product maturity need to be analyzed by farmer,

he needs to take different decisions depending on correct judgment. Each step in the process

plays a vital role in the development of grapes with ideal characteristics.

The time of harvest depends on a variety of factors-most notably the subjective

determination of ripeness. As the grape ripens on the vines, sugars and pH increase as acids

(such as malic acid) decrease. The threat of detrimental weather and vine diseases (such as

grey rot) can also play a role in the time table. The balance of all these factors contributes to

when a winemaker or vineyard manager decides that it is time to harvest.

He may decide exact time of maturity to continue process as:

1. Harvest

2. Crop cutting

3. Storage

4. Packaging

5. Transportation

2.4.3 Theory Concept applied to Integrated Agriculture Information System:

Geographic Information System Interface will sense the information for need,

availability, quality, quantity and alternatives for same related to grape product as

atmosphere, water, soil, land, air, topography, market, transportation, labor, capital, fertilizer,

pesticides. Based on data collected as real time data, by using application tier this data will be

mapped and modeled to analyze for cost and risk factors. For the same System will generate

reports for different conditions.



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Middleware Services will integrate the overall captured data, reports, cost and risk

assumptions/probabilities by applying different strategies to represent insight knowledge views as

explored models, plan of strategic organizing in files or repository and list activities/operations to

perform on database. So Knowledge Management will be supported by the middleware to create

Grape Distribution and Selling data repository, Experts Opinion/Historical Case Repository and

Grapes Crop Production Information Repository.

So the above repositories will be requested by farmer to get proper information to scale

/quantify maturity at optimum level and to avoid quality changes.

2.4.4 Alternatives:

Based on real time conditions different alternatives may be there

Table No.1

Sr. No Condition Rule Action Rule

1 Increase in acids, pH Quantify and check proportion and Plan

the Process

2 Change in color due to light effect Pesticide to control

3 Threat of detrimental weather and

diseases

Control measures, Insecticide and

Fertilizer

4 All factors are well balanced Timetable

Integrated System can judge the factors and can provide best solution from the above alternatives.

With the help of information and knowledge created, it can prepare the further plan and schedule

as per requirement and availability for resources by applying condition rule to determine action

rules as shown in Table No.1.

2.5 Applications

The Integrated System can help to take decisions and properly manage different

applications as Crop cultivation, Water management, Fertilizer Application, Fertigation, Pest

management, Harvesting, Post harvest handling, Transporting of food/food products, Packaging,

Food preservation, Food processing/value addition, Food quality management, Food safety, Food

storage, Food marketing.

3. CONCLUSION

In this paper, along with the recent developments in computerized technology of

Geographical Information System, Knowledge Management efficient multi-disciplined

information repository and dissemination system is explored. The development and deployment

of such integrated information system can be focused to strengthen agriculture growth by: 1)

Providing accurate and realistic information for decision making; 2) Providing Knowledge

Repository; 3) To support sharing of information at wide distributed level; 4) To provide base to

formulate agriculture related strategies to government and other stakeholders.

In future research, this framework need to be focused in proper direction for architectural

design improvements for efficient and fast solutions. Other agencies, dealers, companies related

to crop resources production and distribution can be highlighted for equipping our farmers with

support of IT people to go ahead to reach to height of success.



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REFERENCES

[1] “Mobile Computing Technolgy, Applications and Service Creation”, Ashok

Talukedar, Hasan Ahmed, Roopa R Yavagal

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICT_in_agriculture

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system

[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_management

[5] http http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_computing

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_India#cite_note-wboverview2-6

Note: all above online links are active as on 27th

Feb 2013.