First things first: Here is to a highly successful spring planting season. If you are in to Twitter, my farmer friends over there post excellent information.

Check it out here.

If any of you are like me, you are ready for #plant13 and are hoping for “big” spring to counter the effects of the 2012 drought and set us up for a strong output. Come on Mother Nature, work with us!

Once we get through with planting, the all important task of crop management is front and center. In today’s agricultural production environment, profitability can swing based on one incorrect or untimely decision. Today’s growers know this all too well. This is a strong driver for the continued increase in the adoption of remote sensing. This key technology has advanced greatly over the years and is a valuable tool to keep in your toolbox.

“Site-specific crop management depends on remote detection of field conditions so prescription crop management can be implemented. Crop management plans may include selective spraying for weeds and insects, mitigation of plant diseases, detection of deleterious constituents in water bodies, prescription nitrogen application, and irrigation scheduling…The ability to schedule frequent flights during critical periods of a crop’s development is essential where close monitoring of pending stress may be important.” (Thompson et al 2004)

Over the past 6 years GeoVantage has worked hard to build our infrastructure to deliver high quality, on-time imagery so agronomists, crop scouts, cooperatives, and agriculture service providers can take full advantage of the valuable data provided by aerial imagery. The interface between specialists with agronomic knowledge and aerial imagery is where data is turned into actionable information and later to knowledge.

Still have questions about how to use aerial imagery? Have any stories on how you used aerial imagery on your farm? Let us know in the comments.