In the future, with fewer farmers and a smaller surface area, agriculture must ensure that enough high-quality food can be supplied to a sharply increasing population, while at the same time taking the environment into account. A more sustainable agriculture is therefore needed. This represents a difficult challenge for which the sector will have to accept a number of new technologies. Earth observation can help here.
The most direct application of satellite images is in crop
identification. This application is already being used on a
large scale to monitor cultivation areas for the attribution
of agricultural subsidies by the European Union, as well as
for statistical purposes. However, remote sensing offers many
more possibilities which will be broadly applied in the future.
For cultivation, a number of soil characteristics, such as texture
and moisture, can be derived from satellite images. With this,
one can determine for which crops the soil is best suited.
Crop growth can also be monitored and evaluated throughout the
growing season and compared with normal crop development patterns.
This is applied in precision agriculture, where the dosage of
artificial fertiliser, pesticides and water is precisely harmonised
to the real needs within a parcel of land. This leads to a more
efficient use of resources and a lower burden on the environment.
At the regional level, this information is used in models to
predict the yield. Timely harvest forecasts in specific regions
of Africa, for example, makes it possible to take effective
measures to combat famine.