The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pixxel Space India Pvt. Limited today, marking a significant step towards leveraging advanced satellite imaging technology for the benefit of the Indian Agriculture Ecosystem. The MOU signing took place in the presence of Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW, Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary, DA&FW, and other senior officers of the Ministry.
Under this collaboration, the Government of India, represented by C. S. Murthy, Director of the MNCFC, and Pixxel Space India Pvt. Limited, represented by Abhishek Krishnan, Chief of Staff, will work together to develop various geospatial solutions on a pro bono basis. The project will make use of Pixxel's hyperspectral dataset, obtained from their pathfinder satellites, to develop analytics models focused on crop mapping, crop stage discrimination, crop health monitoring, and soil organic carbon assessments.
Hyperspectral remote sensing technology plays a crucial role in monitoring and assessing the health of crops and soils. By measuring spectral data in narrow wavelength bands, satellites equipped with hyperspectral sensors provide unique indices that can detect changes in chlorophyll content and canopy moisture status, enabling crop health monitoring and risk management solutions for farmers. This emerging technology offers unprecedented capabilities for the agricultural sector.
Soil nutrient mapping, including the assessment of soil organic carbon, is another vital application of hyperspectral technology. By analyzing the reflectance observations captured by sensors, it becomes possible to estimate soil organic carbon more directly and cost-effectively.
Furthermore, hyperspectral data can facilitate early detection of crop stress, precise diagnostics of stress caused by pests, diseases, or water scarcity, and enhance the current advisory system of the Government, benefiting millions of farmers.
Secretary, DA&FW, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration with a young startup company, emphasizing its potential to develop innovative geospatial solutions. By harnessing advanced satellite imaging technology, these solutions will reduce dependence on time-consuming and error-prone manual surveys and measurements.
