Berwyn, Pennsylvania, USA
March 23, 2013
Planalytics today released its first GreenReport for the 2013 season. Using satellite imagery to measure plant biomass, the report identifies areas of the U.S. where the lingering effects of last year’s devastating drought are evident. The company also announced that it will be releasing its initial 2013 GreenReport Winter Wheat Crop Yield Forecast on March 28th with corn, soybean and other summer crop forecasts on June 5th.
“Since 1999, Planalytics and our strategic partner TerraMetrics Agriculture, Inc. (TMAI) have used satellite imagery to track and measure vegetative growth conditions across the U.S.”, said Jed Lafferty, Managing Director of Planalytics Life Sciences. “The satellite images estimate the amount of chlorophyll that growing plants are producing”, he continued. “By combining these ‘Greenness’ maps with our weather intelligence to create Planalytics GreenReport, we can provide our clients more timely and actionable information in-season than they get with just the drought monitor or soil moisture reports.”
The 2012 growing season saw a roller coaster of crop conditions for producers and their suppliers in many areas of the country. An early spring led to record early plantings for corn and soybeans. Initial USDA projections of acres and yields were high. However, by mid-year, drought conditions that had taken their toll in the Southwest during 2011 had begun to tighten their grip across the central Great Plains and Midwest. Lack of moisture combined with record high temperatures during critical growth stages devastated corn crops, causing yields to fall to trend-adjusted levels not seen since the great drought of 1988. Soybeans were headed toward the same fate until Hurricane Isaac struck on August 29th, bringing much needed moisture to crops in the Mississippi Delta and Ohio Valley regions.
In contrast, last year’s early warm-up helped the winter wheat crop reach maturity before the drought had fully set in, resulting in an average yielding crop. Entering the 2013 season, the GreenReport does not show the early season wheat emergence that had been evident this time last year. “Despite several late season precipitation events, significant soil moisture deficits remain across the central U.S., which could have an impact on yield,” says Dr. Jude Kastens of the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program in Lawrence, KS and collaborators with Planalytics and TerraMetrics Agriculture in the GreenReport and GreenReport Crop Yield Forecasts.
“By using satellite imagery to evaluate crop conditions instead of traditional crop sampling techniques, our crop yield forecasts can be generated up to two months before USDA estimates,” says Dr. Kastens, “Last March our initial national forecast, which is the composite of individual state and district forecasts, was 46.3 bushels per acre. Our final estimate on June 27th was 46.5 bushels and was within a bushel of USDA’s late September figure.” Adds Lafferty, “because these estimates are based on Greenness images that are constantly being downloaded from the satellite, we can update these yield forecasts every two weeks throughout the growing season and provide insights into weather events that may impact growing conditions, enabling our clients to adjust their plans accordingly.”
Planalytics GreenReport and Crop Yield Forecasts are available through subscription only. For more information, go to www.planalytics.com or contact Planalytics at 800.882.5881, extension 902.
About Planalytics, Inc.
Planalytics, Inc. is the singular global source of Business Weather Intelligence – the actionable information companies need to understand and optimize the impact of weather on their business. Powered by an unparalleled database of weather’s financial and volumetric impacts, proprietary forecasting technologies and market-specific expertise, Planalytics’ Business Weather Intelligence is essential to any company, in any industry, looking to effectively shape strategies, pinpoint opportunities and make more profitable decisions. For more information, visit http://www.planalytics.com.
About TMAI/KARS
TerraMetrics Agriculture Inc. (TMAI) specializes in agricultural analysis and applications development using remote sensing and other data sources. TMAI is partnered with the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program (KARS), established at the University of Kansas by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the State of Kansas to conduct applied research on techniques that enable public agencies and private firms to better utilize data from satellite and air-borne remote sensing systems.
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