Satellite Imagery

With Satshot, satellite imagery is used to create detailed zone maps of fields through differences in vegetation density throughout the field. Once a zone map is created,the user can then create Variable Rate Application (VRA) maps for the application of wide variety of crop inputs, field scouting and soil sampling.

Satellite Imagery is a very powerful tool when it comes to Precision Agriculture. With satellites, we can cover vast amount of land in little time while getting consistent image quality. Satellite also shoot multiple times over the same area every year which allows you to see changes in the growth stages of a certain crop.

The USDA, along with many other governmental and private agencies and corporations use satellite imagery as a source to detect crop conditions and total acres throughout the year. This has giving satellite imagery the creditability that it deserves not only for large applications, but for small operations on the farm. The scale and accuracy of satellite imagery can not be matched.

The only other source of imagery that is comparable is aerial imagery. We do provide aerial imagery but the limitations are more extensive. Aerial can be very accurate and timely, but can be very costly and time consuming. Also aerial cannot cover the large acreages that satellites can in the same time.

Satellite Imagery for crop productions is usually taken in the NIR (Near Infrared) or NDVI (Normalized Vegetative Index) spectrums. This looks at vegetative biomass density and reflectiveness of plants. By looking at that, imagery can see how the plant is growing and its health aspects. This then can be easily used in conjunction with or replace even yield maps, Veris or electro-conductivity maps, soil maps, and crop sensor maps.

Also with satellites we can compile a large database of past years images to look back in time. With other map sources, you can not do this and/or cannot afford to do this. Satellite Imagery makes it possible for anyone to create multiple VRA maps from the past and current years simply, easily, and at low cost.