China develops methodology for calculating soybean crop areas

Scientists from China have developed a model for accurately calculating the area of ​​soybean crops using satellite data. The authors of the development explain why this is necessary.

Soybeans remain a key crop in the agricultural complex of a number of Western and Eastern countries. They are widely used in the food industry and as feed. For a long time, it was difficult to accurately determine the area of ​​its cultivation, as there was a lack of specific data.

Chinese scientists have managed to develop a model SGMM (Spectral Gaussian Mixture Model), capable of analyzing basic plant indicators. This, in particular, is the concentration of chlorophyll, which allows for a clear distinction between soybeans and other crops.

The model, as the authors of the innovation say, is capable of taking into account local conditions and choosing the optimal timing and parameters of analysis. This ensures an accuracy of 87.5–90.7%. These figures have been confirmed during scientifically organized testing, which was organized in a number of countries: China, Argentina, Brazil, and the USA.

The advantages of the method include the ability to solve the problem of data heterogeneity and scaling monitoring for crop forecasting.

An important advantage is also the fact that SGMM can be adapted for other crops and subject to correction and improvement using AI. The method allows farmers to save resources, but most importantly: it provides objective data for both markets and environmental monitoring, including the detection of illegal deforestation.

Tags: China, soybean