The image shows a land surface temperature (LST) 30 heat map of agricultural land in Zambia, highlighting … (+)
Agriculture uses 70% of all global water supplies to produce food and it takes between 2,000 and 5,000 liters of water to produce one person’s daily food. Global water reserves are in danger.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI) in May 2024, much of the world’s agricultural lands continued to suffer from low soil moisture and low groundwater levels, in the Americas, Africa, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. Satellite observations showed stressed vegetation on every continent.
In May, global agriculture in Central and South America, Africa, Western Europe, southwest Russia, southern Australia, Southeast Asia, and parts of the plains and grasslands of North America, according to CropMonitor.
It’s not just a lack of water; it is also an increase in flooding. Since 2000, flood disasters have increased by 134% compared to previous decades.
Measuring surface temperature from space
Constellr creates a biophysical atlas of the chemical and physical reality of our world
According to Dr. Max Gulde, CEO and co-founder of Constellr, water monitoring around the world has traditionally been done by land-based means, but Constellr uses imaging technology and satellites to create a more realistic view and detailed.
In 2023, Constellr received the Fraunhofer Prize for using water more efficiently with new satellite technology that enables sustainable agriculture in times of climate change. They shared the prize with the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics, the Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI, Fraunhofer IOF and SPACEOPTIX GmbH.
After a demonstration on the International Space Station in February 2022, the LisR mission delivered images in April 2022 and laid the foundation for Constellr’s satellite constellation, HiVE, scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2024. HiVE will measure the Earth surface temperature (LST) in orbit. and provide essential data to support a more sustainable agricultural system.
“Constellr maps the world through views of chemical and physical data that will provide insights for better applications of resources like water,” Gulde said.
“Surface temperature is essential for food safety,” Gulde said. “Food security rests on three pillars: water, energy and the carbon cycle. The water cycle determines where crops can go, the energy cycle determines how fast they grow, and the result is the sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the biomass above and above. Under the ground.”
Gulde says the three cycles are essentially temperature dependent. “Surface temperature determines how much water is needed, how much is available, and how much is lost to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (sum of soil evaporation and canopy transpiration).
“This further allows us to know whether the plants are actually growing in the desired temperature range: for each plant there is a temperature (energy) regime in which growth is fastest,” said Gulde. “Temperature is also directly related to the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered over time.”
“So, by providing temperature data on a field scale and at a daily frequency, all of these cycles can be optimized, which is absolutely necessary because studies estimate that just going out of the optimal temperature range for plant growth (assuming a temperature of 2°C) (global warming scenario), we could lose up to 45% of all global yields.
Thermal intelligence
Constellr’s dataset provides a snapshot of carbon, water and heat data that will show symptoms of potential future damage.
Constellr uses infrared technology to accurately measure surface temperature.
“The thermal infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum goes far beyond what humans can see (wavelengths approximately 20 times longer) and is characterized by the emission of surface heat from objects (in the form of radiation) , said Gulde “Constellr uses cryogenically cooled sensors in space. and specialized optics to capture this emitted radiation.
Gulde explains that this is because the radiation is not reflected, like visible light from our cameras, so the technology also works in complete darkness, resulting in very accurate temperature readings of surface.
If that sounds like something the fictional character Ironman would say, it’s because Gulde tends to think along the lines of using technology to avoid potential damage to the land for the farmer. But the company does not sell to farmers but to the agricultural ecosystem around agriculture, such as seed, agrochemical and food production companies. “These are the companies that provide agronomic advice as a service to their customers, who are the farmers.”
Company Information is actionable and is not intended to be interpreted; it is a physical measurement in relation to a visual image that must be interpreted. For example, the guide indicates a water shortage of 2 l/m² in region X compared to visual data, “brown leaves in region X”.
“Our intelligence also serves as an early warning system,” Gulde said. “Thermal data allows you to see the symptoms of future damage, i.e. lack of water detected, while the visual data only looks at damage that has already occurred: brown leaves mean that the photosynthetic activity has already been degraded.”
Guide says more robust data gives companies more time to mitigate impacts or make better use of resources. “Typically, our data is used to optimize water productivity, including avoiding overirrigation, early detection of stressors such as pests, droughts, etc., optimizing fertilizer timing , as well as the detection and characterization of urban heat islands.”
Guide states that this also applies to the cooling effectiveness of countermeasures such as parks, etc., as well as the measurement of industrial activity and the detection of anomalies such as leaks or pollution.
Using data to change the way we grow food and build cities
Constellr can detect crop stress caused by drought, disease or bacterial infections before the human eye. “This is because plants change the temperature of their leaves in response, which the Constellr satellites measure,” Gulde said.
“As farmers can understand crop stress much earlier than today, they can take preventative measures, such as using irrigation water efficiently or applying biostimulants that help plants survive during times of stress,” Gulde said. “This is how Constellr helps protect healthy crop yields.”
Constellr data can also be used to determine road surface temperatures and measure when and how much salt should be applied to keep roads clear during winter conditions. “This helps cities spread salt on roads more efficiently and protects our overall safety,” Gulde added.
Better urban planning
Cities also use Constellr thermal data to plan parks and green spaces to mitigate overheating during hot summer days.
“Global warming will be more pronounced in urban areas,” said Gulde. “Accurate knowledge of surface temperature can help in many ways, from targeted green infrastructure and heat-resistant building materials to optimization of urban design.”
For example, Constellr can identify the hottest areas of a city. By using targeted green infrastructure, city planners can prioritize these areas for implementing green infrastructure, such as parks, green roofs, and urban forests.
“Vegetation can help cool the air through shade and evapotranspiration, thereby reducing surface temperatures,” Gulde said. “Understanding surface temperature patterns allows planners to design urban layouts that improve natural ventilation, which may involve orienting streets and buildings to maximize airflow and reduce heat buildup.”
“Having accurate surface temperature data provides urban planners with the critical information needed to implement and refine various mitigation strategies, thereby reducing the detrimental effects of urban heat islands and improving the overall quality of life of urban environments” , said Gulde.