Satellite-Informed Crop Yield Prediction System
Combined Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, soil IoT sensors, and meteorological models into a Temporal Convolutional Network predicting harvest yields with 91% accuracy.
91% Prediction Accuracy3,000+ Farmers28% Less Fertiliser
Key Takeaways
- Weekly satellite NDVI time-series analysis and in-field IoT soil data provided field-level yield forecasts 60 days before harvest.
- Precision fertilizer recommendations reduced synthetic nitrogen application by 28% while increasing average crop yield by 12%.
- Lightweight offline-first mobile app delivered actionable agronomy advice to 3,000+ smallholder farmers.
The Challenge
An agricultural cooperative of 3,000+ smallholder farmers lacked empirical data to guide fertilizer and irrigation schedules. Over-application of nitrogen damaged soil microbiomes and increased input costs, while unspotted nutrient deficiencies reduced seasonal yields by up to 30%.
Architecture & Technical Approach
- Multi-Source Data Ingestion: Pulls 10m-resolution Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery (NDVI, EVI) and ERA5 meteorological forecasts.
- Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN): Model trained on 5 years of historical harvest records predicts crop yields and flags growth anomalies.
- Mobile Agronomy Client: React Native application provides localized offline agronomic advice and optimal harvesting windows.
Quantitative Benchmarks & Results
| Agronomic Parameter | Intuition Baseline | Satellite AI Guidance | Field Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Harvest Yield Accuracy | N/A (Unmeasured) | 91.2% (±8% Margin) | High Predictability |
| Nitrogen Fertilizer Application | 100% Baseline | 72% Baseline | 28.0% Fertilizer Reduction |
| Average Field Harvest Yield | 100% Baseline | 112% Baseline | +12.0% Yield Growth |
| Input Cost Savings per Hectare | $0 | $85 / Hectare | Significant Farmer Margin |
Production Reliability & Lessons Learned
Calibrating satellite spectral indices against physical ground-truth soil moisture sensors proved necessary to prevent false drought alerts during cloudy monsoon weeks.