September 6, 2002

Satellites in daily orbit 700 kilometres above Earth are providing Australian farmers with key new
management tools.

CSIRO Livestock Industries has developed technology that uses satellite imaging of agricultural regions across southern Australia to measure the amount of feed on the ground and estimate how quickly pastures are growing.

The pasture information - which is now available on the Internet - can assist farmers with management decisions such as grazing rotations, feed budgeting, fertiliser application and other 'precision agriculture' techniques for the grazing industry.

Dr Dave Henry, Project Leader at CSIRO Livestock Industries, says Pasture Growth Rate (PGR) assessments are a critical factor in grazing management and farm profitability.

"There is a huge difference in scale between what the eye can see and what the satellite sees," he says. "Using satellites, it is possible to get accurate whole-of-farm information, in detail of up to one square metre."

Dr Henry says traditional on-the-ground methods of assessing PGR involve measuring a paddock's
biomass, then measuring it again at a later stage to estimate how quickly the pasture has grown.

"But this is a difficult and time-consuming procedure which does not account for variations between paddocks or the other factors involved," he says.

PGR calculations are estimated by measuring green foliage from satellite images - at a square kilometre scale - then assessing that information in view of local rainfall and temperature readings.

Satellite PGR assessments, at a Shire level, are now offered free-of-charge to farmers in southern
Australia whose properties fall within the Mediterranean-climate zone.

"We believe we are world leaders in the delivery of quantitative pasture information," Dr Henry says. "The satellite data has been validated over five years in Western Australia, so we know the system is robust and accurate."

The technology is in extensive use in the south-west of Western Australia where road signs carry PGR information and it is broadcast on radio.

"We've trialed satellite measurements of PGR in WA, in partnership with the Departments of Land Administration and Agriculture," Dr Henry says. "We know it works, so the next step is to provide farmers in other regions of Australia with satellite information."

He says that, if market research indicates there is sufficient demand, CSIRO hopes to launch the service on an individual-farm basis next year.

Dr Henry also predicts satellite imaging will soon be used to assess pasture quality.
 
Free PGR assessments can be accessed by registering at the rural portal, The Farmshed
(http://www.thefarmshed.com.au). 

Satellite imaging also has applications for management of rangeland and marine industries, in
addition to bush fire management and biodiversity preservation.