Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress (CROP)

Prelims – Current events of national and international importance.

Mains (GS III) – Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life | e-technology in the aid of farmers.

Why in news?

Recently ISRO has estimated the total wheat production from eight major wheat-growing states using Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress (CROP).

• CROP – It is a semi-automated and scalable framework developed by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
• Function – It enables near real-time monitoring of crop sowing and harvesting during the Rabi season across India.
• Data sources – The framework uses remote sensing datasets of Optical sensors and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from multiple satellites,
  • EOS-04 (RISAT-1A)
  • EOS-06 (Oceansat-3)
  • Resourcesat-2A
• Optical sensors capture visible and near-infrared light, SAR uses microwaves to create images, offering all-weather information.
• Methodology – The system assimilates several satellite-derived parameters into a process-based crop growth simulation model using,
  • Crop area measurements
  • Sowing date information
  • In-season crop condition data by assessing the health and development of crops during their growth cycle.

A process-based crop growth simulation model is a tool that imitate the growth and development of crops by modelling the fundamental processes that govern plant growth and development.

• It uses these inputs along with additional parameters like weather data, soil conditions, and crop-specific growth characteristics to imitate how the crops develop over time and predict yield and production.
• A remote sensing-based Vegetation Health Index (VHI) has been employed to monitor crop conditions and drought stress.
• Major wheat producing states in India – The 8 major wheat-growing states covered in the assessment are Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• Significance - Enhances Agricultural Policy Development- Assists the Ministry of Agriculture with real-time monitoring of agricultural activities.
• Strengthens Food Security - Timely yield predictions facilitate effective food stock management and procurement strategies.
• Supports Disaster Response - Contributes to assessments of the impacts of droughts, floods, and pest infestations.
• Fosters Technological Advancement - Encourages the adoption of space-based precision agriculture and the integration of remote sensing in farm management.

Reference

The Hindu| ISRO satellites forecast wheat production