Chapter 8
Big Data and Its Applications
in Agro-Geoinformatics
Liping Di and Ziheng Sun
Abstract Agro-geoinformatics deals with collecting, managing, and analyzing
agricultural-related geospatial data, which are domain-specific big data. This chapter
discusses the general characteristics of big data, the specific features of agrogeoinformatics and agro-big data, and the examples of agro-geoinformatics projects
dealing with big agro-big data. Through the adoption and adaptation processes, the
general big data technologies are very useful in agro-geoinformatics but cannot solve
all technology needs in dealing with agro-big data. The development of agro-big
data-specific technology is a necessary supplement to the adoption of general big
data technology. The combination of adoption of general big data technology and
development of agro-big data-specific technology proves to be a good strategy for
applying big data technology in agro-geoinformatics.
Keywords Big data · Agriculture · Agro-geoinformatics · Agro-geodata · Agro-big
data
8.1 Introduction
8.1.1 Challenges in Modern Agriculture
The world population is 7.7 billion as of November 2019
1 and likely continues to
increase in this century (Gerland et al. 2014). Undoubtedly, in the near future, many
developing countries in the world will constantly face serious issues, such as how to
feed a growing population; how to reduce the poverty, particularly in the rural area;
and how to protect the environment while sustaining the economic development
(McCalla 2001). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of
L. Di (*) · Z. Sun
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
e-mail: ldi@gmu.edu
1 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
L. Di, B. Üstündağ (eds.), Agro-geoinformatics, Springer Remote Sensing/
Photogrammetry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66387-2_8
143
Big Data and Its Applications
in Agro-Geoinformatics
Liping Di and Ziheng Sun
Abstract Agro-geoinformatics deals with collecting, managing, and analyzing
agricultural-related geospatial data, which are domain-specific big data. This chapter
discusses the general characteristics of big data, the specific features of agrogeoinformatics and agro-big data, and the examples of agro-geoinformatics projects
dealing with big agro-big data. Through the adoption and adaptation processes, the
general big data technologies are very useful in agro-geoinformatics but cannot solve
all technology needs in dealing with agro-big data. The development of agro-big
data-specific technology is a necessary supplement to the adoption of general big
data technology. The combination of adoption of general big data technology and
development of agro-big data-specific technology proves to be a good strategy for
applying big data technology in agro-geoinformatics.
Keywords Big data · Agriculture · Agro-geoinformatics · Agro-geodata · Agro-big
data
8.1 Introduction
8.1.1 Challenges in Modern Agriculture
The world population is 7.7 billion as of November 2019
1 and likely continues to
increase in this century (Gerland et al. 2014). Undoubtedly, in the near future, many
developing countries in the world will constantly face serious issues, such as how to
feed a growing population; how to reduce the poverty, particularly in the rural area;
and how to protect the environment while sustaining the economic development
(McCalla 2001). The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of
L. Di (*) · Z. Sun
George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
e-mail: ldi@gmu.edu
1 https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
L. Di, B. Üstündağ (eds.), Agro-geoinformatics, Springer Remote Sensing/
Photogrammetry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66387-2_8
143