HOW TO BEGIN A PROJECT USING SATELLITE IMAGES: THE VIABILITY STUDY (part #1)

Often, potentials clients have consulted us about which are the necessary procedures to begin a project using the satellite remote sensing as an analysis tool. Obviously, these procedures usually vary according to the thematic area in which this technology is tried to apply. However, our experience in the agricultural area allows us to offer a demo of as a study using satellite images in the monitoring of short term crops. This example reffers about the soybean. 
The first step of any project is the viability study. In other words, we were formulated the following question: it's possible to obtain satisfactory results using satellite images analysis for the concrete problem that our client need to solve? 
We will propose as example a supposed viability study for a client who wishes to know the development of the soybean crops using satellite images. 


SATELLITE MONITORING OF SOYBEAN CROPS: VIABILITY STUDY 


1) Area of study 

To be the first stage of the project, focused fundamentally to verify the applicability of the methodologies that we already have applied in other areas, we will propose to select an area covered by only two multitemporary Landsat images: two Landsat images captured during the period of soybean growing, but separated sufficiently in the time, with the object of allowing to detect changes. These images will be centered in the client interest area, but trying to include the greater influece area as possible. 

2) Methodology 

During previous studies made in other gricultural development areas, we have used diverse satellite images mathematical procedure analysis (principal component, vegetation index, subpixel analysis, statistical clasificators, changes detection interpretation, etc.) During these years we have selected those procedures that gave us better results and its efficiency we will put on approval in the study area selected for the soybean crops. For this, we will use specialized softwares specialized like ENVI and MULTISPEC. 

3) Satellite Images 

Preferredly, we will use images of the US Landsat 5 and Landsat 7 The spatial resolution of these satellites is of 30m per pixel, which is not ideal for very small parcels. However, given to the soybean crops surfaces average (high and normally very high), we considered that this resolution of 30m is enough for this study. The great advantage to use these satellite images is its high spectral multiplicity, 6 bands that cover a rank that goes from the blue one to the infrared. The period of revisits of each satellite is 16 days. This means that between both satellites we have four monthly opportunities to obtain images. This increases the possibilities of obtaining relatively free cloud images in the critical period. In ours first studies we used sequences of 3 or 4 images taken throughout the crop development. The experience show us that, with a good quality single image acquired in a critical period (when the crops promedially reach its maximun development), it can be enough, with the consequent costs reduction. In the case of the present project, and to be the first approach to a new area and a new culture, the soybean, we considered to acquire at least two images in two different dates, one of them corresponding to the critical period before mentioned and the other of a previous date. This will help us to detect possible interferences between the soybean and other simultaneous crops.

Part #2 >>

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