SENSAGRI - Sentinels Synergy for Agriculture
In the emerging Copernicus Earth monitoring era, Europe provides Earth Observation (EO) data from Sentinel-1 (S1) and Sentinel-2 (S2) on a free and open data policy basis. In response of the EO Work programme "EO-3-2016: Evolution of Copernicus Services", Sentinels Synergy for Agriculture (SENSAGRI) aims to exploit the unprecedented capacity of S1 and S2 to develop an innovative portfolio of prototypes agricultural monitoring services. When used alone either optical or radar sensors allow the mapping of crop types. However more robust, accurate, frequently updated and comprehensive crop maps are expected from the seldom exploited synergy of both types of measurements. The same holds when dealing with crop status, health and stresses. Experimental studies have demonstrated that fusion of optical and radar data opens up prospects for enhanced monitoring capabilities.
SENSAGRI will exploit the synergy of optical and radar measurements to develop three prototype services capable of near real time operations: (1) Surface Soil Moisture (SSM), (2) green and brown leaf area index (LAI) and (3) crop type mapping. These prototypes shall provide a baseline for advanced services that can boost the competitiveness of the European agro-industrial sector. SENSAGRI proposes four advanced proof-of-concept services: (i) yield/biomass, (ii) tillage change, (iii) irrigation and (iv) advanced crop maps. The algorithms will be developed and validated in four European agricultural test areas in Spain, France, Italy and Poland, which are representative of the European crop diversity, and their usefulness demonstrated in at least two non-European countries. In order to refine the specifications of the products and to iteratively assess the services, actors of the agricultural sector will be involved using a Living Lab approach. The combination of user-centred approach and of state-of-the-art algorithms will establish a sound foundation for deciding of a new Copernicus land service.
SENSAGRI goals
- Combine the Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar with Sentinel-2 optical and in-situ data in order to develop new applications and market opportunities for the European agricultural sector.
- Develop prototype Copernicus services of SSM, green and brown LAI and seasonal crop type mapping and use those for proof-of-concept services of advanced agricultural monitoring products.
- Validate delivered services and establish service demonstration cases to show the large application potential of the new upstream data products.
- Disseminate prototype and proof-of-concept services and interact services with the agricultural sector.
Synergy of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2
- The large swath widths (290 Km) and spatial resolution (10 m to 20 m) of both S1 and S2 allow cropland mapping at field scale for large regions.
- The improved optical sensor of S2 and radiometric quality of S1 provide more information for distinguishing among crop types and for observing crop and soil status.
- The frequent coverage provides a temporal dimension only possible until now with low-resolution satellites
- The systematic observations will be used to build multi-year archive, which forms the basis of crop classification based on temporal curves, hence reducing the need of reference ground data.