Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study

A web mapping XYZ Tile Layer Service, such as Google Earth (GE), provides an amazing resource for the visualization of spatial data against aerial and satellite imagery with global coverage, typically at a resolution finer than 5 m. However, the increasing requirement on spatial accuracy in farm inf...

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Main Authors: Hari Krishna Dhonju, Kerry Brian Walsh, Thakur Bhattarai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-10-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/10/2563
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author Hari Krishna Dhonju
Kerry Brian Walsh
Thakur Bhattarai
author_facet Hari Krishna Dhonju
Kerry Brian Walsh
Thakur Bhattarai
author_sort Hari Krishna Dhonju
collection DOAJ
description A web mapping XYZ Tile Layer Service, such as Google Earth (GE), provides an amazing resource for the visualization of spatial data against aerial and satellite imagery with global coverage, typically at a resolution finer than 5 m. However, the increasing requirement on spatial accuracy in farm information requires a greater appreciation of the issues involved in the use of such services. Position errors can be created in the georeferencing and orthorectification of images, transformation between reference frames (datums) in map projection, e.g., using a spheroid as compared to an ellipsoid earth model, and tectonic shifts. A review is provided of these issues, and a case study is provided of the horizontal positional accuracy of web map imagery for Australian mango orchards. Positional accuracies varied from 1.804 to 6.131 m across four farms using GE 2021 imagery, between 1.556 and 3.365 m in one farm for the most recent imagery available from each of four web map providers, and from 0.806 m (in 2016) to 10.634 m (in 2003) in one farm for the period of 2003 and 2021 using the historical GE imagery resource. A procedure involving the estimation of four transformation parameters was demonstrated for the alignment of GNSS data with GE imagery. However, as the scale factor was unity and the rotational value was near zero, the use of a simple horizontal mean shift vector was recommended. Further recommendations are provided on (i) the use of web mapping services, with a comparison of the use of UAV survey imagery, and (ii) the need for metadata, particularly the date of collection, on collected position data, in the context of use in farm management information systems.
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spelling doaj.art-e38eaf6064fe4852b8d0898bf4f7dbe62023-11-19T15:21:58ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952023-10-011310256310.3390/agronomy13102563Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case StudyHari Krishna Dhonju0Kerry Brian Walsh1Thakur Bhattarai2Institute of Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4701, AustraliaInstitute of Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4701, AustraliaInstitute of Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD 4701, AustraliaA web mapping XYZ Tile Layer Service, such as Google Earth (GE), provides an amazing resource for the visualization of spatial data against aerial and satellite imagery with global coverage, typically at a resolution finer than 5 m. However, the increasing requirement on spatial accuracy in farm information requires a greater appreciation of the issues involved in the use of such services. Position errors can be created in the georeferencing and orthorectification of images, transformation between reference frames (datums) in map projection, e.g., using a spheroid as compared to an ellipsoid earth model, and tectonic shifts. A review is provided of these issues, and a case study is provided of the horizontal positional accuracy of web map imagery for Australian mango orchards. Positional accuracies varied from 1.804 to 6.131 m across four farms using GE 2021 imagery, between 1.556 and 3.365 m in one farm for the most recent imagery available from each of four web map providers, and from 0.806 m (in 2016) to 10.634 m (in 2003) in one farm for the period of 2003 and 2021 using the historical GE imagery resource. A procedure involving the estimation of four transformation parameters was demonstrated for the alignment of GNSS data with GE imagery. However, as the scale factor was unity and the rotational value was near zero, the use of a simple horizontal mean shift vector was recommended. Further recommendations are provided on (i) the use of web mapping services, with a comparison of the use of UAV survey imagery, and (ii) the need for metadata, particularly the date of collection, on collected position data, in the context of use in farm management information systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/10/2563GDA2020GDA94WGS84tectonic shiftvisualizationweb imagery
spellingShingle Hari Krishna Dhonju
Kerry Brian Walsh
Thakur Bhattarai
Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
Agronomy
GDA2020
GDA94
WGS84
tectonic shift
visualization
web imagery
title Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
title_full Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
title_fullStr Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
title_full_unstemmed Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
title_short Web Mapping for Farm Management Information Systems: A Review and Australian Orchard Case Study
title_sort web mapping for farm management information systems a review and australian orchard case study
topic GDA2020
GDA94
WGS84
tectonic shift
visualization
web imagery
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/10/2563
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AT kerrybrianwalsh webmappingforfarmmanagementinformationsystemsareviewandaustralianorchardcasestudy
AT thakurbhattarai webmappingforfarmmanagementinformationsystemsareviewandaustralianorchardcasestudy