Remote sensing in agriculture

Remote sensing has been found to be a valuable tool in evaluation, monitoring and management of land, water and crop resources.
The launching of the Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS) has enhanced the capabilities for better utilization of this technology and
significant progress has been made in soil and land cover mapping, land degradation studies, monitoring of waste land, assessment of
crop conditions crop acreage and production estimates.

Basic Principle
Different objects based on their structural , chemical and physical properties reflect or emit different amount of energy in different wave
length ranges of the E.M.S. The sensors measure the amount of energy reflected from that object.
.
Remote sensing is the process of detecting and monitoring the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and
emitted radiation at a distance (typically from satellite or aircraft). Special cameras collect remotely sensed images, which help to
agriculture automation to "sense" the soil physical properties and plant growth .

Remote sensing is required for Soil Mapping. Soil mapping is one of the most common yet most important uses of remote sensing.
Through soil mapping, farmers are able to tell which soils are ideal for which crops and which soil require irrigation and which ones do
not. This information helps in precision agriculture.

Example:

Remote sensing gives the soil moisture data and helps in determining the quantity of moisture in the soil and hence the type of crop
that can be grown in the soil. This information is used to determine whether a particular soil is moisture deficient or not and helps in
planning the irrigation needs of the soil.

Sensor Types:

There are two types of remote sensing technology, active and passive remote sensing. Active sensors emit energy in order to scan
objects and areas whereupon a sensor then detects and measures the radiation that is reflected or backscattered from the target.

Active remote sensing , provide their own source of energy to illuminate the objects they observe. An active sensor emits radiation in
the direction of the target to be investigated. The sensor then detects and measures the radiation that is reflected or backscattered from
the target. Active Sensors. Active sensors both emit a pulse of energy and detect the reflected energy.

Radars and lidars are the most epic examples of active remote sensing.

Passive sensors detect reflected electromagnetic radiation from a source such as the sun. These sensors operate in the visible,
infrared, thermal infrared, and microwave segments of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Application of remote sensing method in agriculture, the form of crops developed in an area, crop state, and yield can be considered.
Recording crop state by remote sensing can get the crop status in addition to the condition and progress of their development.

 Precision farming
• Surveillance of farms
• Crop yield potential assessment
• Sampling procedure (soil and crop)
• Improving assessment of irrigation water use at regional scale
• Field-based plant phonemics • Plant abiotic stresses (water, heat, nutritional, pollution stress)
• Plant biotic stress (diseases, weeds)
• Crop water status
• Canopy volume/crop biomass detection, crop cover fraction
• Light penetration of the canopy
• Application of canopy measurements
• Soil nutrients and other soil characteristics
• Visible (VIS)/NIR spectroscopy
• Mapping soil types
• Wind and water erosion, flooding
• Monitoring the extent and type of vegetation
• Assessing water resources
 Crop acreage estimation
 Crop condition assessment and stress detection
 Identification of pest and disease infestation

Advantages
The advantages of remote sensing include the ability to collect information over large spatial areas; to characterize natural features or
physical objects on the ground; to observe surface areas and objects on a systematic basis and monitor their changes over time; and
the ability to integrate this data with other.

Disadvantages:

Remote sensing is a fairly expensive method of analysis especially when measuring or analyzing smaller areas. Remote
sensing requires a special kind of training to analyze the images.

 sensor can be affected by environmental changes and contamination,

 Objects can be misclassified or confused
 Distortions may occur in an image due to the relative motion of sensor & source.