Precision ag is all about recognizing efficiencies. Whether it\u2019s recognizing optimal irrigation to maximize water usage or ensuring crops get the perfect amount of fertilizer, the success of boosting the overall economics of the farm depends on the accuracy of the information you collect.<\/p>\n
The same is true with imagery \u2013 quite literally, it\u2019s hard to recognize anything if your satellite images aren\u2019t clear. Good imagery gives farmers and consultants the ability to accurately detect trouble areas, view the effects of weather systems, and optimize scouting efforts in a much more targeted way.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, enhanced satellite imagery can be challenging to acquire. First, it\u2019s expensive. \u201cTraditionally it\u2019s been difficult for farmers to justify the expense of imagery,\u201d explained Peter Brandt, Chief Technology Officer, Agrian Inc..<\/p>\n
Any infrared imagery or enhanced satellite imagery technologies developed to actually be used by farmers has to account for this expense. That\u2019s exactly what Agrian\u2019s ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/home.agrian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Sattelite-2-300x166.png\")
enhanced satellite imagery tools does: \u201cAs we built out Agrian\u2019s precision toolbox for our user base, we specifically sought to tackle the challenge of expense, as well as other key challenges imagery has presented in the past.\u201d Peter Brandt explained. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n
Agrian offers free enhanced satellite imagery to all subscribers. An Agrian user has access to imagery that captures up to two million square miles daily and provides access to high-resolution, multispectral (including infrared ir) in-season imagery. Those seeking even higher resolution can upgrade to TerrAvion imagery.<\/p>\n
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<\/h3>\nExpenses aren\u2019t the only challenge facing farmers who want to make use of enhanced satellite imagery, however. Satellite imagery as an industry has changed a lot in the past 10 to 15 years. Unless you\u2019re actively involved in the industry, it can be hard to keep up with everything you need to know to utilize satellite imagery effectively. It doesn\u2019t matter how powerful your satellite imagery is if it isn\u2019t useful!<\/p>\n
Agrian continues to find ways to integrate enhanced satellite imagery seamlessly into our existing tools to make it more useful. Instead of simply providing the imagery, we provide the context and use-case for it. \u201cThe more accurate an image is, the more reliable it is in informing decisions,\u201d said Brandt. \u201cIt\u2019s also important that our imagery be customizable and as easy as possible to read and interpret. That\u2019s what will make it valuable to our advisors and growers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best way to make enhanced satellite imagery useful to advisors and growers is to use it as a starting point to build custom applications centered around what you actually need. Agrian developed the following features using satellite technology specifically for growers and advisors like you. Here are a few examples of the kinds of things Agrian\u2019s enhanced satellite imagery can give you:<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n
This enhanced image processing tool is completely unique to Agrian. It was developed specifically to provide subscribers a better picture of what\u2019s happening in their fields. The importance of having atmospherically-corrected data is found by eliminating the variable of \u2018atmosphere.\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/home.agrian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Satellite.jpg\")
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By automatically filtering out cloud tops, the temperature of the clouds (using infrared radiation), the weather forecast, and other selected atmospheric factors, this tool allows for a much more accurate comparison of the important aspects of two field images. \u201cOne way advisors use imagery is to compare the same thing in two different areas,\u201d explained Nick Morrow, Vice President of Product Management, Agrian Inc. \u201cFor example, if I want to look at images from a cornfield in Iowa versus one in Minnesota, potentially collected with a different sensor, in different atmospheres, we can remove that variance in order to better compare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morrow pointed out that correcting images in this way is also helpful when evaluating a single field or area over time. \u201cAcross any given month, season or year, the dust and water vapor particles in the air will change; you need to remove those in order to get an accurate representation of what the crop is doing. It\u2019s like the difference between taking a picture of a house across the road on a sunny day compared to a foggy day. If you didn\u2019t know any better, you would think the house had changed, but you are only seeing the effect of the atmosphere.\u00a0 Remove that, and you can see if the house really changed, and how.\u201d<\/p>\n
The way users interact with imagery has also been made easier. Agrian\u2019s enhanced satellite imagery processing system now eliminates all images of low quality, resulting in the most accurate imaging possible. Map Layers<\/em> allows users to set up filters for what they want to view \u2013 such as date, layer type or imagery type, for quick analysis when making scouting, sampling, seeding prescription, or other agronomic management decisions.<\/p>\n Brandt believes the Map Layers<\/em> feature can reveal patterns or insights that might not have been as easy to see before. \u201cIt\u2019s not just an analytical tool, but also a discovery tool,\u201d he explained. \u201cProgressive images (or time lapses) are used to create a time series chart that shows how a crop is developing. On that chart, you want to see a smooth curve. If you\u2019re using sub-par images, your crop development curve will be less accurate, more irregular, which makes it harder to interpret in order to make sound management decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n For use along with the new map layers, Agrian has also upgraded its zonal statistical tools, making it faster and easier for users to draw conclusions from customized data sets.<\/p>\n \u201cUsers like our tools because it allows them to experiment,\u201d said Morrow. \u201cThey enjoy \u2018playing\u2019 with map layers, making comparisons, and drawing correlations. We find advisors bringing new insights to growers based on their experience with the statistical tools applied to the images, and we also see growers using the tools to generate questions that they bring to their advisor.\u00a0 Analyzing imagery really gets conversations going between advisors and growers.\u201d<\/p>\n Although receiving imagery in real-time remains an as-yet unattained holy grail, image processing time has<\/em> been shortened dramatically in recent years. Agrian\u2019s system can consume imagery bands for both Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 up to six times faster than it had previously. \u201cWe get images from satellites and some aerial providers, and within hours \u2013 sometimes minutes \u2013 make those imagery events available to our subscribers,\u201d said Morrow.<\/p>\n Cloud computing, centralized processing, greater automation and improved imaging accuracy have all contributed to bringing Agrian users their images so quickly. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t long ago that the computational power needed to do that would have made it infeasible. Now, a process that used to take a day or two is done next-day or within hours \u2013 and we\u2019re processing more data than ever before,\u201d added Morrow.<\/p>\n Despite all the advancements in technology, Brandt acknowledges that in the real-world, sometimes you need the ability to access your data offline. With Agrian\u2019s native mobile app, images are available offline if users find themselves with spotty or degraded internet service.<\/p>\n \u201cImagery has been around a long time,\u201d concludes Brandt, \u201cOur goal has been to build an infrastructure that enables us to retrieve the highest possible volume of imagery at the drop of a hat, and, more importantly, make it quickly available and conveniently useful for our users.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in recognizing efficiencies with enhanced satellite imagery, get in touch with Agrian to schedule a demo or sign up today. Satellite imagery you can actually use isn\u2019t as unattainable as you might think – not when you choose Agrian.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Precision Ag is all about recognizing efficiencies. Whether it\u2019s recognizing optimal irrigation to maximize water usage or ensuring crops get the perfect amount of fertilizer\u2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[169],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"yoast_head":"\nZonal statistical tools<\/h3>\n
Enhanced processing speed and accessibility<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/home.agrian.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Empoer-Enhanced-Processing.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nOffline access to imagery data<\/h3>\n
The best part of enhanced satellite imagery technology is that it\u2019s still evolving all the time. Agrian is committed to remaining at the very forefront of that evolution – and ensuring that our subscribers can always benefit from it in affordable and useful ways.<\/p>\n