Satellite Data Enhances Irrigation and Crop Management
NASA and USGS have introduced the OpenET FARMS tool to help farmers and ranchers better manage their water resources. This innovative tool delivers high-resolution evapotranspiration (ET) data, enabling smarter irrigation decisions and improved water conservation.
The FARMS tool, built on OpenET’s Data Explorer platform, uses NASA’s Landsat satellite imagery to measure temperature, vegetation health, and weather patterns. It integrates field boundaries and weather data, including humidity, solar radiation, and precipitation, to generate accurate water-use reports.
Sara Larsen, CEO of OpenET, highlights the tool’s benefits - "The FARMS tool is designed to help farmers optimize irrigation timing and amounts, simplify planning for the upcoming irrigation season, and automate ET and water use reporting."
With a fine spatial resolution of a quarter-acre per pixel, FARMS offers highly detailed insights for precision farming. Features include customizable field comparisons, automated reports, and mobile accessibility, making it easier for farmers to manage irrigation and detect problem areas.
California farmer Brett Baker appreciates the tool’s historical data: "Using FARMS gives us the ability to review historical trends and changes to understand what worked and what didn’t year to year. Farmers know their land, and FARMS provides a new tool that will allow us to make better use of land and resources."
NASA and its partners, including USGS, USDA, and major universities, are continuously enhancing FARMS. Future updates will include a seven-day ET forecast, ensuring that farmers have access to the most advanced water management tools available.