Since the launch of NASA’s first Landsat mission in 1972, satellite imagery has been used for global agricultural monitoring, providing one of the longest operational applications for the Landsat program. Although satellite observations of land began with agricultural monitoring, only in recent years has agricultural remote sensing seen reinvigoration among space agencies, national ministries of agriculture, and global initiatives. To monitor agricultural systems, NASA utilizes satellite observations to assess a wide variety of geophysical and biophysical parameters, including: precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and vegetation health.

Past ARSET webinars on land and water resources covered remote sensing-derived parameters relevant to agriculture within a broader scope. This 4-part introductory webinar will focus on data products, data access, and case-studies demonstrating how remote sensing data can be used for decision-making among the agriculture and food security communities.

This training will address how to use remote sensing data for agriculture monitoring, specifically drought and crop monitoring. The webinar will also provide end-users the ability to evaluate which regions of the world agricultural productivity is above or below long-term trends. This informs decisions pertaining to market stability and humanitarian relief.