Remote sensing for agricultural research and monitoring operations

Agricultural Remote Sensing at the Macaulay Institute for Soil Research is examined in three parts. The first and second outline the historical development of the remote sensing facility and its present applications. Since 1975 an automated system, linking photogrammetric and remote sensing techniques, has been developed. This system now allows resource and land use/land cover mapping to be carried out from combined aerial and satellite information. A peatland resource map of Lewis and North Harris, and a land cover map of N.E. Scotland are used as specific examples. The third part deals with future developments in remote sensing techniques and information sources, and their implications for agricultural problems. Possible relationships between crop spectra and crop yields, diseases and nutrient deficiencies are highlighted. The discussion emphasises the crucial role of ground studies in establishing the value of spectral data acquired from high altitudes.