1. Agricultural Intelligence From Satellite Imagery
AgBiz Grain Conference
Jens Hiestermann, GeoTerraImage:

2. Overview Introduction Crop Estimate Examples Field Boundaries
Crop Type Area Classification
Precision Farming: Crop Monitoring
5 Crop Indicators
Hail Damage Assessment
Conclusion
Emphasize the possibilities of using the same satellite images (Sentinel 2) to generate and deliver various types of Agricultural Business Intelligence, with a "subtle undertone" of GeoTerraImage expertise and abibility to provide such information. Also as discussed, the idea is just to show deliverables, outputs and products, and not get into any technical detail, other than to mention that we are converting all our processes into cloud systems

3. Satellite Technology Recording Sun Reflectance
Satellite sensor measures canopy reflectance
Canopy absorbs & reflects light
Processing and preparation for field boundaries and crop type analysis
Introduction which is one slide showing a diagram of the flow of "data" from sunlight onto an agricultural field, which is reflected back to the satellite and recorded. Then relayed /transmitted to ground receiving stations from where we source the satellite imagery and generate crop type information
Ground
Receiving
Station
Reflectance intensity based on different types of vegetation

4. Interesting Facts Did you know that ……
RSA Centre Pivot Area Constantly Increasing:
2000 = Hectares
2010 = Hectares
2018 = Hectares
RSA Maize Cultivated Area:
Approx 20% produced in only 5 districts
Grain Crop Area Estimate: Field Boundaries - just to mention that we annually update Field Boundaries as part of our Crop Estimate work for DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries). The table with statistics on various categories of field boundaries is quite interesting...you can highlight Free State as province with largest area of fields, , and largest area of Centre Pivots, while Western Cape has the highest area of Fruit Orchards.....which is important to support wine production ...jokey

5. Grain Crop
Area Estimate
Field Boundaries

6. Mapped Fields

7. SA Coverage: 14 million Ha

8. Grain Crop Area Estimate Grain Crop Type Analysis
Crop Type Classification -  start of by mentioning that this is in follow up to the PICES survey. The PICES survey takes place in February / March (in-season) and is a "statistical survey' that provides crop type area per province, while the Crop Type classification is done after the end of the season to make sure all the crops have matured and reached full canopy cover for the satellite to detect "pure signatures". The crop type classification then determines area (hectare) per district which the CEC uses to understand distribution within a province and pick up trends.

9. Crop Classification Components
Satellite Imagery & Duration:
Sentinel with 5 day revisit
Continuous images dates to cover full season
PICES Survey:
Satellite Imagery calibration
Crop Calendar:
Crop planting date & growth duration
Winter (July) 2018 up to Summer (May)2019

10. Mpumalanga 2018 Crop Type Area (Ha)

11. FreeState 2015 Maize Area (Ha)

12. FreeState 2016 Maize Area (Ha)

13. FreeState 2017 Maize Area (Ha)

14. FreeState 2018 Maize Area (Ha)

15. FreeState 2019 Maize Area (Ha)

16. Precision Farming:
Crop Monitoring
Field Level Crop Indicators

17. CROP INDICATORS Crop Indicators Approach & Goal
Early warning for “bad patches”: identify within field variability
Colour ramp for each field individually: red (low) to green (high)
Information support: assessment or management:
Crop stress can be caused by many factors……
Assessor, Agronomist & Soil Scientist
Delivery Format:
Pdf report or Client API
Delivery Interval
Every 15 days based on cloud free satellite imagery
Low
High

18. CROP INDICATORS Generate 5 x Crop Indicators from Satellite Imagery
Why not only NDVI..?
Many phenological processes within a crop / plant
Each crop indicator measures different phenological processes
Plant Vigour (Ndvi)
General Plant Health
Photosynthetic Activity Indicator
Indication of Nitrogen levels
Leaf Area Indicator
Plant size based on number of green leaves
Moisture Stress
Lack of soil moisture and / or irrigation
Senescence Onset (indicating Grain Filling)
Leaves dying off naturally or due to stress

19. GeoFarmer API delivers agricultural info
* ANY CLIENT
API
GeoFarmer Delivery
API
* ANY DIGITAL CLIENT SOLUTION
API
GeoFarmer Receiver

20. Report Graph: 3 Month Trend

21. Cultivation Trends: Potatoes Growth Curve

22. Carrots: &

23. Hail Damage
Area Calculation

24. Approach Hail Storm Event: 19 January 2019 Satellite Imagery Dates:
21 February 2019
Leaf Area Calculation
Crop Damage: Leaf Area Decrease
Select Fields with LAI decrease and Calculate Ha

25. Image Before 12 Jan 2019

26. Image After: 22 Jan 2019

27. Hail Damage LAI Decrease
12 January – 22 January
Decrease
Increase

28. Hail Damage LAI Decrease
12 January – 21 February
Decrease
Increase

29. Hail Damage: Decrease in Leaf Area
Selected Fields

30. Summary Leaf Area Decrease 12 January 2019 -22 January 2019:
Hectare
12 January February 2019:
Hectare
Historical Analysis Possible

31. CONCLUSION Satellite Imagery Future Developments
Valuable Tool to Monitor Crops
Regional Scale / District Level
Field Level: Precision Farming Management Information
Future Developments
Organic Matter Indicator
Conservation Farming Practices
Production Indicator
Maize & Wheat
Nitrogen Top Dressing according Crop Growth Stages
Recommendation for Maize between 4 Leaf and 8 Leaf stage
Also for Wheat and Potatoes
In partnership with Omnia Fertiliser