Mobile GIS based approach for collection of crop planting environment data

Field data collection, comparing with other data acquisition methods such as remote sensing or wireless sensor network, has advantages of high flexibility, high accuracy and gradually becoming one of the main methods for complementing agricultural data. We analyzed the actual demands of crop planting environment data collection work, and on that basis, presented an Android based crop planting environment data collecting system prototype (CPEDCS). Firstly, in consideration of uncertainty characteristics of crop planting environment indicators, we designed a customizable data input mode based on structural data table, which supports users to set indicators by editing XML file, defines visibility and arrangement of indicators, and configures default value of each indicator; secondly, mobile GIS module was integrated in CPEDCS client to provide spatial information, and the module can automatically adapt to variation of data type, file quantity and spatial range; thirdly, we realized efficient image data management and application by image data acquisition, compression, coding and transmission, and users can query image data in different sample points real-time through browser. At last, we applied our system on crop planting environment data collection work in Yangling District, Shanxi Province in April, 2013 and April, 2014. The experimental results show that the CPEDCS has high practicability and stability, and to some extent could increase data collecting efficiency, reduce error rate on data input, and provide spatial information for investigators.