“Farmers who want to do more with data but in the past have hesitated to make big investments can see that FieldScout is accessible and affordable,” says van der Wal. Growth charts and maps showing deviations from average growth provide further support, and the app also lets farmers record their own location-specific observations using notes and photos during field walks.īioScope has long been researching how to use satellite data to benefit agriculture and FieldScout is the outcome.

The app provides maps of soil zones, biomass, and nitrogen levels in the leaves of crops, which can help farmers determine if remedial action is needed, such as watering or fertilising. “As farmers tour their fields and crops, BioScope’s FieldScout app helps them to locate areas of concern,” explains the company’s co-founder and director Tamme van der Wal. Now, Dutch start-up BioScope has developed a way to provide this information directly to farmers in the field, where they can identify and study any crops of concern. Capturing aerial data is an efficient way to gather valuable information on aspects such as plant health and soil conditions but making the results accessible to farmers has been the main challenge. Precision farming using satellite and drone imagery has been used for several years to improve agriculture. The smartphone app provides location-specific maps showing key crop-related data, such as biomass and leaf nitrogen content with additional features designed to allow farmers to monitor growth and optimise resources.

Affordable smart farming using satellite data is now available to more farmers than ever through the FieldScout app from ESA-funded start-up BioScope.

Big farm mobile harvest yeilds