NASA Harvest used a new mapping method in Ukraine to show how sunseed production has changed in the country

In May 2024, researchers from the NASA Harvest Consortium presented a new method of mapping sunflower acreage using Earth observation radar satellites. This workflow was used to create a high-resolution (20 m) map of sunflower acreage in Ukraine, according to NASA Harvest.

The resulting map of sunflower acreage allowed for a better understanding of sunflower production across the country, in particular, how it has changed since the Russian invasion.

The analysis revealed a 5% decrease (loss of 3,500 square kilometers) in sunflower acreage in 2022 compared to 2021. Most of these losses were observed in the Russian-occupied regions, while there were no significant losses in the regions controlled by Ukraine. Within the occupied territories, the sunflower area decreased by 29% from 2021 to 2022.

A look at the acreage maps shows how sunseed production in the country has changed. As expected, the sunflower acreage has almost disappeared on the war frontline.

Comparing the 2021 and 2022 acreage maps, 9% of the fields were planted with sunflower for two years in a row.

Overall, the decline in sunflower production across Ukraine was less than expected.

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Tags: sunseed, NASA, Ukraine