Helping farmers manage their crops

With the unprecedented growth of the global population, it is paramount for agricultural services to operate with maximum efficiency. Satellite images are becoming more frequently employed to monitor agricultural activities, providing important data which details objective estimations of crop conditions and yields.

Optical satellite sensors can detect visible and near-infrared wavelengths of light, reflected from agricultural land below. It is these wavelengths which combined, can be manipulated to help us understand the condition of the crops. Satellite images also has the added advantage of being able to monitor very large areas, obtaining vast amounts of data in a fraction of the time that it would take on the ground.

We at Geocento have developed EarthImages, a platform which allows you to search and order both past and future satellite images. Using EarthImages, agronomists and other agricultural specialists have the opportunity to obtain regular acquisitions of imagery to monitor their crops as they grow.

From north-west Texas to the south banks of the River Ganges (below), crop monitoring is a vital process to ensure that those who depend on these crops will have an adequate food supply when it comes to the harvest.

Above: North-West Texas near the town of Edmonson. In the warm climate of Texas, centre pivot irrigation is an important agricultural method used to conserve water. With earth imagery, farmers can remotely monitor large areas of crops to see whether more or less water is needed to help improve productivity. Images: SPOT-5 HRG1 (Airbus).

Above: The south banks of the River Ganges near Patna, East India. Many people here rely on the agricultural productivity of rice, wheat and maize for not only an income, but also for their personal diets. Images: Pleiades-1A (Airbus)