Epagri project aims to map and monitor agricultural crops in an automated way

Mapping areas with agricultural crops, as well as monitoring the stages of plant development, is fundamental information for farmers, researchers and managers. Such data is important for actions such as harvest forecasting, agricultural planning, formulation of public policies, natural resource management, among others.

It was with this in mind that the Epagri/Ciram researcher, Juliana Mio de Souza, submitted a pilot project to Fapesc for evaluation that aims to develop and implement a technological solution that allows for the automated classification and monitoring of the spatial and temporal distribution of rice crops. irrigated and their respective phenological stages, that is, stages of plant development. The project has the support of technicians from different Epagri units: Ciram, Cepa, Itajaí Experimental Station and municipal offices. 

Sustainable development

“The development and use of this technology is aligned with promoting the use of information technologies for efficient monitoring and management, as well as access to digital information”, notes Juliana. The researcher also highlights that the adoption of this technology also contributes to achieving national goals related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda.

Area estimation and phenological monitoring of agricultural crops are normally carried out based on information collected in the field and visual interpretation of satellite images. “This solution is an expensive and time-consuming process and agribusiness requires monitoring systems with more accurate and updated information in an increasingly shorter period of time”, ponders the researcher.

If the project is approved, the researchers intend to replicate the results for other crops such as apples, bananas, grapes and corn, for example.