3.2 Extreme Heat Stress Monitoring

In the past few years, drought has had a significant impact on the growth of most arable crops in the Eastern part of the Netherlands. Satellite and drone images are used to monitor the state of drought and drought-affected grassland/maize - geospatial-based information for agricultural drought monitoring in the sandy soil of the Eastern part of the Netherlands.

AgriWatch offers Geospatial services for smart farming with an emphasis on the effects of climate change resulting in drought conditions. It focuses on affordable remote sensing data acquisition and monitoring services by integrating remote sensing platforms (satellite, drone, and ground) and tools, GIS (maps) data, and expert knowledge.

In the images and pictures below the effects of drought on maize (corn) plants in non-irrigated cropland in the Twente region are shown. Maize has done well in the past but not under new climate conditions!

Less Effective Rain
Increasing Temperature (See https://www.agriwatch.nl/knowledge-center/chapter-1-problem-definition )

Effects:

Drought-stressed/WaterStress corn,
Uneven height of plant maize (tall plants, short plants) under drought conditions,
Leaf death,
Diseases of plants and a specific mold in the maize fields hindered the crop’s pollination,
Kernel abortion,
Weed,
Fungi,
Missing Plants,
Fewer Insects,
BirdsAttack,
Export, limits feed quantity and quality.

For more info on Extreme Heat Stress in August 2020, see 100 photos selected from the photos taken in 13aug2020:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9G2uNDvht6wdBt6y9

No one could have missed it, but it is hot and very dry. Crops are currently having a hard time. Likewise the Maize and Grassland. Mosaic Drone images of 13 August 2020 under the heatwave. The maize and grass plants were extremely under stress after a number of sweltering days in Twente.

Drone images for Drought effects monitoring, case of non-irrigated crops in the Eastern part of the Netherlands