Atfarm provides regularly updated satellite imagery and biomass maps to help you monitor crop health and optimise fertiliser application.
You can choose from two types of satellite map to visualise your field:
Base map
The base map is a high resolution Earth map that helps you identify field boundaries, streams, roads, and other geographical features when adding fields to Atfarm.
Where does the imagery come from?
The base map is provided by Mapbox and OpenStreetMap, which update their imagery every few years. As a result, the field boundaries shown on the base map may not always match your current field boundaries. If your uploaded field boundaries appear different from those on the base map, this is not an error, it simply reflects older imagery.
How the base map is used
The map is not used for crop monitoring or recommendations. Atfarm provides frequent satellite images (updated every three to five days) for field monitoring, which you can find in field view.
Field view
The field view provides recent satellite images in low resolution, which help monitor your field over time. With up to two years of satellite imagery available, you can closely follow crop development and assess field conditions.
Satellite data source and imagery quality
Atfarm uses data from the Sentinel-2 A and B satellites, part of the European Space Agency's Copernicus programme, to calculate a vegetation index and generate biomass maps.
Image availability and limitations
However, image availability may be affected by:
- Cloud cover and shadows: Thick clouds, cloud shadows and snow cover can obscure parts of the field, limiting the accuracy of biomass readings. Cloudy and snowy images are marked with a ☁️ icon. Biomass layers can't be applied to these images, but you can manually check cloud cover. If an image is cloud-free, you can use it to create application maps.
- Temporary disturbances: Accumulated water, machinery, or other obstacles may appear in images and affect biomass readings.
True-colour imagery for better interpretation
Atfarm provides true-colour satellite images, allowing for a more intuitive evaluation of field conditions. These images help you:
- Confirm small clouds and shadows before using an image for biomass analysis
- Identify non-vegetation elements such as standing water, machinery, or infrastructure
- Assess field conditions intuitively, reducing the likelihood of misinterpretation
By considering these factors, you can make better-informed decisions based on satellite imagery in Atfarm.
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.