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Farmers know the value satellite imagery can bring to their operation. It has the potential to serve as your scout in the sky, giving you a bird’s eye view of your crops with regular progress updates and an overview of stress spots you may not notice from the ground.
FBN® offers free satellite imagery tools for members to help scout your fields at no cost to your operation.
To get started, Sign In to your FBN account.
Click Analyze at the top.
Click My Operation in the left-hand menu.
Then select Maps.
Once you enter field boundaries into your FBN member account, we provide Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) images to help you track progress throughout the growing season.
EVI images assess vegetation biomass by looking at the difference in light reflected in near-infrared and visible bands, compensating for atmospheric distortions and those due to the ground cover below the canopy. With higher sensitivity to dense vegetation, EVI can even indicate crop growth and health stages.
FBN uses three layers of satellite imagery to give you a unique perspective of individual fields on your operation, including:
Absolute, which shows how far along a crop is in its growth, identifies the variation of vegetative vigor within a field and compares a field’s vegetative growth against other fields on the operation.
Relative, which amplifies the variation of the absolute layer across a green-to-red color scale. This layer identifies the variation of vegetative growth within a single field.
Raw, which provides a raw image of the field on the date the image was taken. This layer identifies clouds or shadows of clouds that might be showing up in the EVI layers.
New images are loaded every five to seven days and members can access images from the last 12 months. These images allow you to review signs of problematic areas in your fields, from pest and weed pressure to a clogged irrigation nozzle.
A few benefits of using satellite imagery include the ability to:
Review fields from your computer or phone before physically visiting them.
Scout specific areas of fields that may be difficult to walk and inspect because the crop is too high or unreachable due to terrain.
Spot crop health issues early and prioritize which field areas to address before they become a widespread problem.
The FBN Yield Prediction tool delivers in-season yield prediction updates** to your mobile phone and desktop application every three days by weighing factors such as:
Satellite imagery data
Field location
Field and regional yield history
Weather
Other agronomic data.
Access to these yield estimates — and receiving updated values throughout the year — can help you make important decisions about in-season applications and seed selection for the following crop year. The Yield Prediction tool currently covers corn, beans, canola and wheat.
AcreVision, which is available for free to FBN members, is an innovative farmland evaluation system designed to assist farmers in making informed decisions about potential land purchases by providing vital insights into specific farmland parcels. This comprehensive information covers 630 million acres and 15 million parcels, with information on cropping history, soil type maps, terrain, comparable sales, cropping history and more.
Try AcreVision for free today by clicking here.
MODIS (website) - https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dataprod/mod13.php
Earth Observatory - https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/MeasuringVegetation/measuring_vegetation_4.php
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* Fees may apply for certain product and service offerings other than FBN membership. Free membership is currently available to Canadian farmers in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
** Yield predictions are based on statistical and agronomic models, research and data (including historical weather and agronomic data), and information provided by other FBN members and you, to generate the estimates and other information we provide. These do not guarantee actual results. Our models, data and recommendations may change over time. Individual results may vary, as weather, agronomic conditions and farming practices differ across growers, locations and years. Consult your agronomist and other service professionals before making financial, risk management and farming decisions.