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Description
The main objective of GrasSat project is a fully operational system in form of desktop and mobile application, what gives the added value as a complementary tool for managing grassland production, mainly for medium and large farms in Poland and Norway. Combining the research of Polish and Norwegian partners gives high effectiveness to improve grass production management.
The applied methodology for monitoring grass growth conditions and yield forecast is based on synergistic use of remotely sensed data, process-based grassland models and reference in-situ data, indispensable for elaborating reliable models characterizing plant development. The methodology brings the environmentally friendly technologies using the remote sensing data and the results of the project contribute to reducing negative effects of freezing and drought effect on yield. Application of the remote sensing technique to detect areas with high water stress allows to estimate the expected yield of grassland what can help farmers to prepare for importing the forage.
The partnership between Polish and Norwegian researchers gives the joint development of the innovated methodology for grasslands cultivation.The added value of cooperation is the use of ground data for the calibration of satellite data at both countries. The novel approaches will be based on innovative use of satellite data in the grassland management to increase yield and monitoring of grassland status. The partnership will broaden the cooperation between Polish and Norwegian researchers.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the project was to develop a comprehensive grassland production management system, mainly for medium and large farms in Poland and Norway.
The project developed a fully operational platform in the form of a desktop and mobile application. The methodology for monitoring grass growth conditions and forecasting yields was based on the use of satellite data and in-situ reference data, which are necessary to develop reliable models characterizing plant development. In situ measurements were performed on plots which belonged to individual farmers and representing differing climates and soil conditions in Poland and Norway. The fresh and dry biomass, Leaf Area Index (LAI), soil moisture, meteorological data were measured and the database with all measurements was created.
The use of remote sensing to estimate expected yields on grasslands can help farmers prepare for feed imports and detect areas with high water stress. In addition, process-based models can help estimate the impact of drought or freezing on yield. The project assumes the use of ground data to calibrate satellite data.
Summary of bilateral results
By bringing together two climatically distinct regions—Poland and Norway—project conducted biomass research and compared conservation methods for grassland habitats. The project highlighted the different conditions affecting biomass growth, which was the main focus of knowledge exchange on grasslands cultivation for farmers. The research results were compared using two different models, incorporating the NDII index as a climatic factor. A key advantage of this cooperation was the exchange of ground measurements taken simultaneously in both countries. These measurements were crucial for building the models. The discussions and mutual conferences facilitated the comparison of remote sensing model applications and methodologies, bringing together the results effectively. The bilateral cooperation laid a solid foundation for future endeavors. The aim to extend this collaboration further by developing IT automation systems to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of biomass research and grassland conservation efforts.