Geographic Information Systems (GIS) :
Niagara College offers GIS faculty and students the opportunity to work with local industry partners on real-world projects through course-based assignments and applied research initiatives.
With significant investments in GIS technologies and expertise with real world experience, GIS has become the foundation of much of the land use planning and management applied research conducted over the past two years. College researchers have developed customized GIS applications for crop management, wine production, precision farming, and pest control. Niagara Research has created 3D GIS maps of vineyards to determine cold air pooling, air flow, topographical detailing, and risk management strategies. The College is now working with private sector partners to plan new vineyards and develop comprehensive detailed “maps” of Niagara Region vineyards.
Infrastructure:
- Faculty members and staff with geospatial expertise and first-hand consulting experience
- Designated labs with site licenses for ESRI and other GIS software
- GPS, dGPS, and Total Station equipment
- Augmented Reality Research Centre technologies and staff support
Areas of Research Include :
- Use of GIS technologies to create GIS accurate 3D maps
- Use of GIS and remote sensing technologies to map data related to environmental and agricultural related fields.
- Development of customized GIS applications for crop-management, wine production, precision farming, irrigation optimization, pest control
Recent Research Projects
- Vineyard Planning for Rehabilitation of the Fonthill Sand and Gravel Pit
Lafarge Canada’s Fonthill sand and gravel pit requested the expertise of Niagara College faculty and students in examining the feasibility of developing a vineyard on the site. The research team has evaluated the proposed land using GIS technologies, completed soil profiles and analyses and has implemented a test plot. The research on the Fonthill site is ongoing. View Research Poster
View Research Poster
- PrAgMatic
PrAgMatic, a real-time agriculture data management system, will enable farmers to manage their properties more efficiently, cost effectively, and environmentally focused. The agricultural owners will be provided access to real-time remote sensed data and to customized data products that are engineered to their operations. View Research Poster
