Application · Agriculture
Agriculture & crop monitoring
A field looks uniform from the road, but rarely is. Satellite imagery and vegetation indices reveal crop health, moisture, and stress across every field you manage — so you can scout by exception, time inputs, and forecast yield without walking the whole farm.
Image: Copernicus Sentinel-2 data, processed by ESA — CC BY 2.0
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In short
Why monitor crops from above?
Walking fields is slow and samples only a fraction of the ground. Satellite imagery measures every part of every field on a schedule, and indices like NDVI turn that into a map of where crops are thriving or stressed — so scouting, irrigation, and inputs go exactly where they're needed.
What you can do
From a single field to the whole operation
Field-level measurement across every acre, season after season.
Crop health & vigour
Map greenness and biomass with NDVI and EVI to spot underperforming zones early.
Irrigation & water stress
Use water indices to find dry spots and target irrigation before yield is lost.
Yield estimation
Track season-long vigour to forecast yield and plan harvest and logistics.
Soil & bare earth
Use soil-adjusted indices like MSAVI2 where canopy is sparse and soil shows through.
Field & boundary mapping
Map field boundaries and management zones for variable-rate planning.
Season-long time series
Stack regular captures to see how each field develops and compare year over year.
Turn the spectrum into a decision
Crops reflect near-infrared light long before stress is visible to the eye. Indices like NDVI, EVI, and NDWI convert those invisible bands into a value per pixel — a map you can act on. See how each works in our guide to image outputs.
Choosing data
Which imagery for which job?
Medium-resolution multispectral with frequent revisits suits whole-farm monitoring; high-resolution adds detail for smaller plots and trials.
See the vegetation indices explained in satellite image outputs and their applications, or learn the basics in the ultimate satellite imagery guide.
Who uses it
Industries that rely on agriculture & crop monitoring
Teams managing vegetation and rural land use the same indices and imagery.
Agriculture
Growers and agribusinesses monitor crop health, irrigation, and yield across every field.
Forestry
Forestry teams use the same vegetation indices to track canopy health and change.
State & Local Government
Agencies monitor rural land use, irrigation, and agricultural compliance.
Data partners
Imagery from the world's leading providers
Access an ever-growing network of satellite, aerial, and drone operators — all through a single SkyWatch account.
Grow on better data
Set your fields as your area of interest, choose a revisit schedule, and monitor crops from one platform — with no minimum contract spend.