Chapter 7

Satellite Remote Sensing in Precision Agriculture

Advantages and Limitations of Satellite Remote Sensing

Advantages of Satellite Remote Sensing

Satellites are the most effective remote sensing platform for large-scale Earth observation. Satellites orbit the Earth from a distance of several hundred kilometers and are equipped with sensors that detect different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, such as visible light, infrared, and radar. They offer several advantages for agricultural applications, including global coverage, repeatability, and relatively high spatial and temporal resolution. Satellite imagery is ideal for monitoring extensive farmland areas, offering continuous coverage over time and being cost-effective.

Limitations of Satellite Remote Sensing

The primary disadvantage of satellite imagery that relies on reflectance is interference from cloud cover. Depending on cloud coverage, a satellite may not be able to acquire images at all. The consensus in the literature is that cloud coverage reduces satellite temporal resolution. Satellites as a platform have inherently low temporal resolution, as they cannot be used for imaging at will but rather at their particular revisit time. However, if the cloud coverage is dense at that moment, the chance for image acquisition may be lost.

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