Using satellites to better understand farm fields

Feb 09, 2023

Have you ever wondered how information from a drone could help you on the farm?

By Haley Bilokraly
Farms.com Intern

Research presented by Professor Steve Shirtliffe from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) shows that remotely sensed data is a great way to collect information about your crops.

Remote sensing is using satellites and unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as drones, to gather information about your land.

According to experiments conducted by the U of S, remotely sensed data can be used for determining variability in a field, assessing herbicide damage, measuring seed moisture and more. Shirtliffe shared the research at the recent Farms.com 2022 Western Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Technology Showcase.

For example, Shirtliffe shared how UAVs can be used to count your canola. In his experiment, students created a program that scans UAV images for emerging canola plants.

On top of detecting positive plant growth, research has been done to use UAVs for detecting harmful weeds like kochia. During this study, Shirtliffe and his colleagues were able to create accurate maps predicting where kochia was hiding in fields.

Current research has been focused on yield prediction using data collection at the beginning of seeding. The hope is to extend this information to accurately predict yields for the following year using historical data.

Learn about the other ways remotely sensed data is being used by watching the video below.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.