Wayne, Pennsylvania
April 22, 2008
Using satellite imagery to measure
plant biomass, a team of crop scientists has demonstrated an
ability to forecast yields of various crops much sooner than
traditional methods, and with considerable accuracy, announced
Planalytics, Inc. today
as they introduced their new GreenReport® E-newsletter.
"Since 1999, Planalytics and our strategic partner TerraMetrics
Agriculture, Inc. (TMAI) have used satellite imagery to track
and measure vegetative growth conditions across the U.S.", said
Jed Lafferty, Managing Director of Planalytics Life Sciences.
"The satellite images estimate the amount of chlorophyll that
growing plants are producing", he continued. "By combining these
'Greenness' maps with our weather intelligence to create
Planalytics GreenReport, we can provide our clients with more
timely and actionable information than they get with just the
drought monitor or soil moisture reports."
Recently, however, research conducted as part of the Greenness
initiative has surfaced that adds considerable value to the
plant biomass maps that Planalytics business meteorologists have
been using for years. According to Lafferty, a team of crop
scientists affiliated with TMAI and the Kansas Applied Remote
Sensing program (KARS) at the University of Kansas have compiled
six years of nationwide crop yield forecast results for wheat
(winter, spring and durum), corn, soybeans, oats, barley and
sorghum. The first winter wheat forecast for 2008 was produced
on March 21st. "By using satellite imagery instead of
traditional sampling techniques, crop yield forecasts can be
generated up to two months before USDA estimates. And because
they are based on images that are constantly being downloaded
from the satellite, we can update these forecasts every two
weeks throughout the growing season."
Lafferty goes on to add that, compared to initial USDA forecasts
or normalized trends, the TMAI/KARS forecast models have been
shown to be consistently more accurate in recent years. "It is
hard to say whether it is the methodology that's used or the
volatility of recent years' weather events, but these bi-weekly
crop forecasts appear to answer many of the questions that our
clients involved in grain trade have been struggling with."
Planalytics GreenReport and Crop Yield Forecasts are available
through subscription only. For more information, go to
www.planalytics.com or contact Planalytics at 800.882.5881,
extension 972.
Planalytics, Inc. is the singular global source of Business
Weather Intelligence- the actionable information companies need
to understand and optimize the impact of weather on their
business. Weather is the most volatile of all external factors
affecting business performance and Planalytics helps companies
proactively manage this risk. Powered by an unparalleled
database of weather's financial and volumetric impacts,
proprietary forecasting technologies and market-specific
expertise, Planalytics Life Sciences has the tools and resources
to assist companies involved in all aspects of food and fiber
production... from crop inputs (seed, fertilizer, and crop
protection) to food distribution, brokering, and retail. |
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