Monitoring Agricultural Production from Space

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) maps allow comparisons of the spatial and temporal variability in the amount and condition of vegetation. The time series satellite derived NDVI was used to monitor and analyze changes in vegetation patterns in the major wheat production domain area in Australia. The NDVI comparison was done during the growing season, April through November, for 2002, 2005, and 2006 and it found that significant differences in vegetation growth production. These data and utilities are fundamental for crop yield forecasts and can serve as an early warning system for regions suffering from crop loss and food shortages. Wheat is Australia's most important crop, with a seasonal gross value approaching 3 billion Australian dollars. Australia contributes between and 8 and 15% of world's wheat trade, making it the fourth largest exporter after the United States, Canada and the European Union. Severe drought in Australia not only decimating crops, but it also curtails exports and causes major price and trade impacts on global markets. In 2006, wheat exports dropped by a third from the year before which caused worldwide prices to soar to the highest levels in a decade.