GPS World

Tag: satellite data

  • UP42 partners with Vultus for precision ag solutions

    UP42 partners with Vultus for precision ag solutions

    Photo: UP42
    Photo: UP42

    UP42 has partnered with Vultus, which specializes in precision farming technologies.

    According to UP42, its customers can now use Vultus Fertilization Zoning Maps algorithms to fine-tune crop management — with more agricultural technologies coming soon.

    Founded in 2016 in Lund, Sweden, Vultus AB provides a geospatial infrastructure for precision farming. Vultus analyzes Earth observation satellite data with advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to give farmers insights into the health of crops within small sections of their fields, enabling them to apply fertilizers variably across the field.

    “Growers reduce nitrogen-based fertilizer use by up to one third while increasing yield by three to five percent with the Vultus technology,” said Robert Schmitt, Vultus CEO. “This results in lower operating costs and significantly less environmental harm.”

    Fertilization Zoning Maps — the first in a series of proprietary algorithms Vultus brings to UP42 as a partner — shows farmers which parts of their fields need more or less fertilizer. Fertilization Zoning Maps divide fields into five zones that are classified according to the variable fertilization rate the soil requires, Vultus said.

    By partnering with Vultus, UP42 also brings precision farming technologies to the users of its geospatial developer platform and marketplace for Earth observation data and analytics. With the addition of Vultus technologies, UP42 customers can now pick and choose combinations of data and processing algorithms for their area of interest and retrieve results on a single scalable platform.

    “We’re very happy to announce a new partnership with Vultus, an emerging leader in the agritech industry,” said Sean Wiid, UP42 CEO. “Our partnership is a key step towards providing UP42 users with a simplified way of building precision agriculture solutions. We look forward to launching new capabilities and supporting the agritech industry together.”

  • TCarta delivers satellite-derived mangrove health assessment to Abu Dhabi

    TCarta, a global provider of geospatial products and services, was commissioned by the Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) to carry out a landmark mangrove health assessment covering the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The assessment contained mangrove condition information derived from high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery.

    According to TCarta, the report showed 80 percent of the Emirate’s mangrove forests were healthy. The project also enabled EAD to designate conservation areas for immediate protection.

    For the assessment, TCarta obtained high-resolution multispectral imagery acquired by the DigitalGlobe WorldView-2 and -3 satellites during from December through March. Computer algorithms were applied to the Coastal Blue, Visible Green, Visible Red and Near Infrared bands to differentiate mangroves from other vegetation across the Emirate.

    The company then derived several vegetation indices from the spectral bands to rate the health of the mangrove forests, divided into small grids. From there, TCarta analysts obtained coarse-resolution Landsat imagery from 1987, 2001 and 2017 to chart mangrove coverage over three decades. According to TCarta, the combination of WorldView and Landsat data analysis clearly showed where mangrove loss had occurred over time. This data allowed the company to generate its disturbance index, which correlated health to external factors, such as urban development.

    “The satellite-derived vegetation analysis process we developed for this project can be applied to large-area crop and forestry health mapping anywhere in the world,” said Chris Burnett, project manager at TCarta. “As part of the assessment, we created a disturbance index showing precisely where the most mangrove stress is occurring. EAD will use this to determine — and potentially mitigate — the external factors causing the mangrove conditions to decline.”

    The company’s research proved that urban development near Abu Dhabi City was one of the primary threats to the Emirate’s mangrove forests. According to TCarta, EAD will use the report for remediation efforts, including the selection of more favorable areas to plant new mangroves to balance those that have already been lost.