Context:
The Agriculture Minister further said that the Centre had now decided to assess crop losses through satellites i.e. remote sensing, as opposed to manual assessments, which he said will ensure “correct and accurate” assessments of crop losses under the crop insurance scheme.
Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Key Applications
- Crop Health Monitoring:
- Early detection of crop diseases, optimal count of plants, and yield estimation.
- Soil and Crop Condition Analysis:
- Generation of soil property maps for enhanced insight into crop health and decision-making.
- Water Stress Detection:
- Crop water stress assessment; hence, irrigation schedules can be adjusted accordingly.
- Weed and Pest Detection:
- Weed presence can be detected for efficient application of pesticides and targeting.
- Crop Health Monitoring:
- Crop and Soil Variability Mapping:
- Highly detailed maps showing spatial variability of crops and soil health for more accurate management decisions.
- Remote Sensing Platforms and Resolutions:
- Platforms:
- Collection of data through satellites, aircraft, and drones.
- Spectral Bands:
- Acquisition of several wavelengths of light to understand crop health.
- Resolutions:
- Spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and radiometric resolution.
- Platforms:
- CIBO and Remote Sensing in Agriculture:
- Offers advanced Performance Zone maps from remote sensing data.
- Classifies farmland into various levels of productivity: Best, Average, Low, and Varying.
- Calculates the risk of farming on a piece of land according to performance zones.
- Measures performance zones that determine the risk of farming a new piece of land.
