Thermal Lens: Monitoring plant health from space

Those Space People

This episode of “Thermal Lens” features Charlie Siggs, Commercial Agronomist at constellr. constellr is a German satellite company providing thermal intelligence for better resource accountability in agriculture. They build satellites for imaging in thermal wavelengths, which allow analysing water stress in plants.
Charlie has a background in agriculture and has been solving problems in the agriculture industry for over 15 years.

In this episode, we discuss how agronomists work with satellite companies to monitor plant health using thermal imagery. We explain how thermal imagery reveals plant water stress and the importance of accuracy and resolution in this process. We also explore the use of different wavelengths and data fusion techniques. Commercially, we consider the value of company data for various applications and collaboration opportunities. Lastly, we touch on the skillset needed for agronomists to work in satellite applications. Join us as we explore the link between agriculture and satellite technology.

This episode is hosted by Agnieszka Soszyńska & Rachana Mamidi

Chapters

• (00:00) - Intro
• (01:06) - Episode overview
• (01:41) - What is an agronomist doing in a satellite company?
• (03:42) - How can we see plant stress in thermal imagery
• (06:59) - Spatial resolution and other requirements to observe plant stress in agriculture
• (14:22) - Using thermal bands and visible bands together
• (17:07) - Data fusion with aerial and in-situ sensors
• (19:14) - Predicting diseases in crops
• (20:42) - The optimal space-borne observation for plant stress analysis
• (24:14) - Data products for plant stress analysis
• (25:49) - Commercial companies and large agency missions
• (29:25) - Who needs thermal intelligence?
• (33:44) - Applications across different geographies
• (35:27) - constellr business model: what are the products, who are the clients?
• (42:18) - Applications beyond agriculture
• (44:40) - Looking for collaborations?
• (46:47) - Required skills for a career as an agronomist specializing in space applications