CubeSat Cameras in Agriculture Development
We already know that agriculture forms the backbone of the world’s food supply. What is agricultural water significance? Soil conditions, availability of water, extreme weather conditions, and climate changes can prove to be very expensive for farmers and the overall food security of the world.
In such cases, CubeSat cameras can prove to be very valuable for farmers, agronomists, food manufacturers, and agricultural policy-makers who wish to increase the production of crops as well as profitability.
CubeSat satellites and cameras can provide everything you require to improve crop development, apart from Earth Observation.
What Is Satellite Imagery Data?
Before we start learning more about this particular subject, we must understand some basics of satellite cameras. As we know, there is a wide range of satellites available today. Many companies and governments have different requirements for satellites, since they provide data of multiple spatial resolutions and time scales.
The pixels are compiled to measure the distance on earth; at first, these pixels measure km2, m2, and so on. However, technology has improved today – you now have access to spatial resolutions as close as cm2.
How Does CubeSat Camera help in Agriculture?
Let us now look into how CubeSat cameras can help in agriculture. An optical camera can be mounted on top of a CubeSat; with the help of the imagery and data, you will be provided with valuable insights into the world of agriculture. You will be able to monitor the crops more effectively.
As we can see, a CubeSat camera system has numerous benefits. For example, you can save roughly 10% of your fertilizer use with the help of the data provided by these satellite reports. You will also be able to monitor the crops from space and be provided with a wide range of data like nitrogen levels, vegetation indices, etc.
Modern satellites can offer more agricultural data to you. For example, these satellites can provide data related to yield prediction, monitor harvest, monitor soil moisture, plan seasons, understand where agricultural water comes from, and assess biomass when you combine the data with all the other in-house analytics to provide broader coverage.
Today, the CubeSat camera resolution is so high that resource monitoring can be done at 1.4 m. Additionally, the camera capability will be on ten specific spectral bands.
Another significant advantage of using CubeSat cameras is that the resolution can be bundled together with the help of a pixel detector.
Let’s look in detail at how CubeSat camera can aid in agriculture:
1. Targeting Scouting Efforts
With the help of satellite images from these CubeSat cameras, you will be able to find and analyze the problem areas on your farm faster. You will also be able to optimize your scouting efforts. For instance, the NDVI technology can help you analyze your crops’ vigor and measure the plants’ health and strength.
2. Optimizing the Use of Nitrogen
Next, satellite cameras can be used to provide maps to help you understand and analyze the application of nitrogen. It’s particularly true if you want to complete a biomass assessment for multiple crop seasons in a row. You can also upload these maps to certain agriculture machinery to improve field efficiency and productivity. However, because of biological and environmental complexity, you will still have to validate the accuracy and validity of the nitrogen detection.
3. Optimized Watering
When it comes to watering your farm, you may have many unresolved questions about the agricultural use of water. To grow crops, you will require some knowledge about proper agricultural water use. If you apply excess water, it can be harmful to your crops. With the help of satellite data, you can provide the right amount of water to your crops based on the weather conditions, the crop types, the surrounding temperature, etc. You also need to comply with agricultural water regulations.
4. Measure the Performance of Your Field
With the help of a CubeSat camera, you will be able to measure the performance of your field every week. You will be provided with information like local weather, precipitation, etc. You will also be able to compare the data from other farm fields and identify problem areas.
5. Experimenting on a Large Scale
The main goal of using CubeSat camera modules is to reduce manual inputs and increase the crop yield immediately. In today’s time, we see a lot of experimentation taking place in farming. However, it was a completely different story a few years back. With the help of satellite imagery, you can conduct large-scale tests on an entire farm with no hassles.
Final Thoughts
What is the agricultural use of water, and how do satellites affect it? With the help of remote sensing and data from CubeSat cameras, it is believed that agriculture will soon become automated. Thanks to the better productivity of farms, you will witness high output levels. While satellites do aid in precision farming, it is not the only type of technology that will be used. Many types of other technologies like UAVs, drones, etc., can work perfectly with satellites to provide you with the best information and data. Eventually, we will see an era where the crop yield is at an all-time high.