Satellites have long become humanity’s assistants from orbit. It is pretty challenging to overestimate their role in various fields of activity. From monitoring climate change and combating the consequences of natural disasters to planning the improvement of cities and infrastructure, satellites serve as a reliable data source.
Problems with food security have opened a new perspective for applying geospatial data analysis in agriculture and satellite monitoring technology. The integration of advanced solutions allows you to increase productivity, control yield levels, schedule irrigation, and timely detect various threats to vegetation, including diseases, pests and different types of stress.
EOS Data Analytics, a reliable provider of satellite data for more than 20 industries, has developed its solution for precision agriculture. EOSDA combines satellite data with artificial intelligence technologies and proprietary algorithms to analyze crop health. Thus, technological capabilities can be used to create fast and accurate data-driven decisions.
Satellite Insight: The Eyes in the Sky
Crop Monitoring
The application of satellite technology enables EOSDA to provide growers with comprehensive information about the condition of their fields in near real-time. High-resolution images and geospatial data analytics provide data on potential problems, plant health and other critical indicators. Such monitoring helps to quickly detect and solve emerging problems, preventing damage to the crop.
EOSDA Crop Monitoring is an all-in-one satellite field monitoring platform for precision agriculture created by EOSDA. This tool is designed to make farm management more accessible and more efficient.
The software uses satellite imagery from Sentinel 2 to extract valuable information from different types of remote sensing data. It includes vegetation indices, crop rotation history, soil moisture, weather data, and more. Users can access crop-type classification maps, yield forecasts, and field boundary delineation.
Advanced features for scouts enable accurate detection of problem areas, thus helping scouts to save time and effort. Field owners can easily set exploration tasks online using satellite maps, and the platform will automatically notify the agronomist. Scouts can also work in the field using the app, attaching photos of damaged or stressed plants with the team.
Beyond the Visible Spectrum
EOSDA provides insight into plant stress, temperature changes, and field conditions. It’s possible thanks to infrared and thermal imaging data beyond the visible spectrum. Remote sensing is the most crucial method in precision agriculture, which enables obtaining images of the earth’s surface in various electromagnetic spectra.
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index is a reliable way to assess the state of vegetation from orbit, indicating the level of greenery in the scanned area. NDVI is based on spectral analysis and allows you to notice minor nuances of the growing season associated with a lack of moisture and other harmful factors.
During photosynthesis, plants actively absorb light and reflect a significant amount of near-infrared light (NIRB). The differences in light reflections in the infrared spectrum were used to develop the NDVI index. This index enabled remote sensing techniques to identify the greenest areas on Earth.
Precision in Resource Management
Soil Health Optimization:
Soil health requires a comprehensive assessment, since crop yields largely depend on it. EOSDA uses satellite data analysis to provide farmers with reliable information on soil moisture, nutrients and salinity. With an understanding of these parameters, precise and effective soil management techniques can be applied to improve overall fertility.
EOSDA’s team of R&D scientists relies on critical data from multiple satellites and applies proprietary algorithms to develop efficient and accurate soil moisture analysis models for images. Soil moisture maps enable daily monitoring, estimation of yield, and discovery of climate trends at different levels.
Water Optimization Strategies:
EOS Data Analytics provides information on soil moisture levels and crop water requirements to optimize water usage in agriculture and reduce environmental impact. The platform provides vegetation index maps that divide fields into zones with different crop water needs. Thus, it is possible to plan additional precision irrigation activities where needed. The vegetation map can be downloaded and submitted to irrigation equipment dashboards for variable rate technology (VRT) water and other irrigation-related resource applications.
Efficient Input Application
Targeted Application of Agrochemicals:
Satellite monitoring is a cost-effective solution for environmentally friendly farming. It provides real-time crop data, reduces transport costs, lowers toxic emissions, and prevents soil degradation and water pollution.
Precision agriculture requires data analysis regarding the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Data available on EOSDA Crop Monitoring helps to detect the areas with varying nutrient needs or pest pressures. It benefits plants’ health, optimizing input costs and reducing negative environmental impact.
Prescriptive Analytics for Precision Farming:
EOSDA employs prescriptive analytics to offer farmers tailored recommendations for specific field conditions, such as optimal planting times, irrigation schedules, and crop rotations. These suggestions promote more efficient and sustainable farming practices.
Productivity maps enable the analysis of the potential productivity of specific areas for various types of crops. This tool is vital for agricultural enterprises that want to confirm the feasibility of investment and selection of territory for expansion of activities.
Maximizing Yield and Quality
Predictive Analytics for Yield Forecasting:
EOS Data Analytics uses geospatial data predictive analytics to estimate future profitability trends. Historical data, as well as information about current conditions, help farmers make informed decisions about crop planning, storage and marketing strategies rather than relying on intuition.
Informed Crop Selection:
EOSDA helps farmers select the most suitable crop varieties for their specific conditions. Various factors are carefully analyzed to make the right choice, including temperature, precipitation and soil composition.
AI-powered tools significantly expand the industry’s ability to assess crop productivity and health. Advanced analytics enable users to optimize yields, reduce risks and make better data-driven farm management decisions. AI solutions can also be used to optimize irrigation schedules, detect and predict threats, mitigate weather risks, and much more that can help increase productivity.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Of course, despite all the advantages and benefits of technology, challenges remain. Integration into existing farming practices, accessibility to smallholder farmers and data privacy issues require careful consideration. However, solutions to these problems will be found as technology continues to develop.
EOSDA’s role in precision agriculture is to help farmers improve their crop management practices by leveraging the capabilities of satellites and the benefits of using geospatial data in analytics. Optimization and efficient use of resources contribute to increased field productivity and a more sustainable future for the industry.
