The service will provide timely information about vegetation conditions and soil moisture for grape and fruit growers. The information is derived from EO time-series and delivered through standard APIs. These APIs will be directly integrated in the farm management system and enhanced through in-situ IoT sensor data. The farmer receives actionable information supporting management decisions such as about irrigation and harvest.

The vegetation service based on Sentinel-2 imagery is up and running and its farm management software integration is currently tested (Jan 2022). The soil moisture service based on Sentinel-1 is expected to follow in February 2022.

The outcomes are NDVI-time series and soil moisture levels on parcel level.

Initial release to the pilot partner for testing. It is planned to release the API to other users shortly afterwards in spring 2022.

Standard APIs for an easy integration of EO-derived information in software applications.

Todays’ farmers face multiple challenges including not only vegetation growth, health or yields but also market and consumer demands such as product transparency. The pilot services provide information to support farmers’ daily management practices. EO and especially the use of Sentinel imagery is especially useful because it allows to determine standardized information products globally and at very short visiting cycles. Enhancing and calibrating this information with in-situ data makes this a trustful information product. Moreover, in-situ data helps to close the data gaps and thus time-series when no imagery is available. This is a significant improvement for farmers enabling efficient operations.

This pilot exemplifies the combined use of EO-imagery and IoT in-situ data in an agricultural context which could be applied almost globally. Nevertheless, it underlines the need for more in-situ data because there are large monitoring gaps available.

The developed pilot is initially only available to the pilot users. After a testing period it will be made public as a commercial service.

It is planned to register the pilot application in the GEOSS service catalogue.

SDG 2 | ZERO HUNGER

Agriculture is to 100% dependent on natural resources. Their efficient use and management through sustainable agriculture are therefore paramount. With our pilot we aim to support farmers’ daily operations and management decisions to efficiently work with these resources (plants, soil, water) protecting them at the same time. By making services for smarter irrigation and plantation management more widely accessible through the usage of EO data, which reduces the need for physical sensor devices, we achieve improved economics and scalability of irrigation optimization solutions, enabling applicability of such solutions for a wider range of food-producing farms.

SDG 6 | CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION

By improving water usage for farming purposes through smarter usage of water, conservation of water sources and clean water is achieved.

 SDG 15 | LIFE ON LAND

Agriculture is to 100% dependent on natural resources. Their efficient use and management through sustainable agriculture are therefore paramount. With our pilot we aim to support farmers’ daily operations and management decisions to efficiently work with these resources (plants, soil, water) protecting them at the same time.