From satellite data to farming advice: VITO technology supports Flemish farmers towards more sustainable precision agriculture
Technology has become an inseparable part of our daily lives, and agriculture in Flanders is no exception. From sensors and drones to satellites and AI, Earth observation data helps farmers monitor their crops with precision. The Flemish Centre for Agro and Fishery Marketing (VLAM) and VITO are working together to encourage farmers to adopt innovative and sustainable approaches.
Heroes of our fields
With the information campaign ‘Heroes of Our Fields’, VLAM wants to show consumers how Flemish farmers contribute to a more sustainable food chain. They provide healthy, locally produced food while paying attention to biodiversity, careful water and soil management, reducing food loss, and using more sustainable packaging. VITO supports them with satellite data, technology, and solutions such as WatchITgrow.
Technology from space
Together with the farming sector, VITO experts are developing WatchITgrow, a free online information platform that helps farmers monitor the performance of their fields quickly and efficiently. WatchITgrow draws on various data sources including satellite imagery, weather data, soil data, IoT and user input to generate information on crop growth and health, create task maps, and much more. Thanks to this information, farmers can intervene or make adjustments in time, improving their yields in a sustainable way.
Looking through the clouds
Satellite images are not infallible: when clouds cover a field, the view from space is blocked. But with our CropSAR solution, we can now look ‘through’ the clouds. CropSAR is a platform that combines different satellite data (both optical data from Sentinel-2 and radar or “SAR” data from Sentinel-1) with the help of AI to fill in these gaps artificially. In a few weeks’ time, VITO will roll out this additional service in WatchITgrow, a first in Earth observation.
Public data versus privacy
Satellite images are public data: anyone can access them via the Terrascope platform. Still, WatchITgrow ensures that Flemish farmers’ privacy is protected. Their user data is securely safeguarded. Farmers are in control and, via DjustConnect, can decide for themselves with whom they want to share their data. Moreover, all this information is securely stored on the servers of our independent Flemish research institute.
Want to know more?
You can find more information about VITO’s expertise in geo-intelligence for solutions with societal impact here.
