In Atfarm you can remotely check the biomass status of your fields for free with regularly updated satellite images and various biomass maps to

	Make informed decisions for your nitrogen fertilisation based on reliable and comprehensive growth information
	Identify areas with high growth potential
	Identify potential problem areas on time before yields are affected
	Recognise crop variability due to weather
	Plan next field visits and prioritise areas that require a closer look
	Analyse progress and evaluate any new practices or products you are testing
	Monitor effectiveness of nitrogen applications and variable fertilisation

How it works

Add your field

Access our free Cop Monitoring Solution both via the Atfarm web app in your desktop browser and via the Atfarm mobile app on your mobile device.

After adding a field to your farm in your Atfarm account, you can see a satellite image of the field with a biomass layer on it.

Adding fields

Select a satellite image

We use data from satellite images to calculate a vegetation index and create a biomass map.

The satellite images are taken every 3 to 5 days by Sentinel-2 A and B satellites of the European Space Agency's Copernicus programme and uploaded to Atfarm. Sentinel-2 images capture the red edge of light making them ideal for detecting changes in vegetation far before your eyes could notice any anomalies.

You can access images from up to 2 years in the timeline below the map and observe the crop development of your field.

Cloudy satellite images are hidden by default in the timeline as biomass layers cannot be applied to them and therefore no Variable N-Rate Application (VRA) Maps can be created with such images. But you can still view these images and check whether they are indeed cloudy or whether the detection algorithm has made a mistake.

Viewing cloudy satellite images

Select field view and biomass map

Click on the map layer tile in the lower right corner of the field map to select different satellite maps and biomass maps.

You can select 2 types of satellite maps to view your field: base map and field view. The base map is a high resolution but outdated earth map. It is used to identify field boundaries when adding your fields to Atfarm. In field view you can find the low-resolution but up-to-date satellite images and check the field condition.

Which satellite map to choose

You can choose between 3 types of biomass maps. Each biomass map applies a specific vegetation index to a cloud-free satellite image to measure crop health and growth. As a result, you get a biomass map showing the in-field variability, which can be used to create Variable N-Rate Application (VRA) Maps.

Which biomass map to choose

What makes Atfarm special

Our Yara N-Sensor index is what makes Atfarm special. It was developed based on our expertise in precision fertilisation and over 25 years of field trials.

The Yara N-Sensor is a tractor-mounted remote sensing device, that determines the nitrogen demand by measuring the crops' light reflectance. The first Yara N-Sensor was introduced in 1999 for use on cereals and more than 250 trials have been carried out to refine its performance and to add new programs. 

Using this crop and region-specific calibrations from the Yara N-Sensor index, Atfarm generates optimised biomass maps to show the variability in crop development even in advanced growth stages. This is particularly relevant for late nitrogen applications.

Nearly all other offered tools use the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on red and near-infrared radiation – a technology older than 50 years – and can therefore only detect differences in early growth stages. From shoot development of the plants, this index saturates very rapidly and loses its informative value.

So far, only our Yara N-Sensor index can make biomass differences visible during and after shooting and create precise application maps for these growth stages.

Compare biomass

Compare biomass of your field between two selected dates with our biomass comparison tool and benchmark crop development, identify anomalies and discuss possible measures.

Comparing biomass

Create Variable N-Rate Application (VRA) Maps

Create Variable N-Rate Application (VRA) Maps using our biomass maps and apply nitrogen precisely on your fields.

Variable N-Rate Application (VRA)