Chiara Pertosa, SITAEL president: “The use of satellites is increasingly strategic in precision agriculture”
Chiara Pertosa on how space technology can unlock new possibilities in agriculture: “The use of satellites represents one of the main tools for implementing precision agriculture, the one from which the greatest progress in remote crop monitoring is expected today”
June, 24th 2022 – “The use of satellites represents one of the main tools for implementing precision agriculture, the one from which the greatest progress in remote crop monitoring is expected today”.
This was underlined by Chiara Pertosa, president of Sitael, on the occasion of the event that celebrated the ten years since the birth of Confagricoltura Donna, on June 10 in the Chamber of Deputies.
“The satellite images detected by hyperspectral sensors accurately and efficiently detect the biochemical and biophysical characteristics of the earth – explained Pertosa -, that is, the parameters that refer to the quantity of water, the composition of the soil and the type of crops”.
Part of the funds of the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) made available by the Government will be used to finance the construction of IRIDE in Italy, a new constellation of satellites destined to become the most important European satellite space program for low-altitude Earth observation.
The project, which must be completed within five years, will be entrusted to ESA (European Space Agency) and the Italian Space Agency who will then entrust the tasks to companies in the sector. It is a group of artificial satellites sent into low-altitude Earth orbit that will guarantee continuous coverage of our planet to develop public and private services.
The constellation will also support Civil Protection and other administrations to combat hydrogeological instability and fires, protect coasts, and monitor critical infrastructure, air quality and weather conditions. Finally, it will provide analytical data for the development of commercial applications by startups, small and medium-sized enterprises and industries in the sector.
“A part of this constellation – explained Pertosa – will be focused on the use of satellites in precision farming. To carry out this commitment, we started a discussion table together with Confagricoltura. Part of this mission must be directed towards the development of tools at the service of agriculture. The use of satellite data and their correct interpretation optimize the interventions in the field and make agriculture more sustainable from an economic point of view. For example, in the vineyards, they can monitor the vigour of the crops, generating maps for immediate interpretation for the harvest ”.
