05/06/2026
This week’s Image of the Week takes us to the Netherlands. With a relatively small landmass, maximising the efficiency of every square metre of agricultural land is essential. Satellite data provides the clear, actionable insights needed to monitor crop health and manage these vital resources sustainably.
Captured by Open Cosmos' Hyper-500 satellites, this sequence of Mijdrecht shows how targeted spectral insights uncover what is happening beneath the surface, giving growers the exact data needed for precise crop management:
Image 1: Advanced Metrics (Red Edge) - Evaluates how crops reflect a narrow wavelength of light called the Red Edge. By using advanced tools like the Chlorophyll Index (CIre) and Red Edge Position (REP) Proxy to track the shift between absorbed and reflected light on the electromagnetic spectrum, this layer can pinpoint early chlorophyll loss and nitrogen deficiencies before symptoms are even visible.
Image 2: Canopy Health (GNDVI) - Maps the crop using GNDVI to track subtle, moisture-induced canopy changes and variations in photosynthetic activity well before physical wilting begins.
Image 3: True-Colour Image - Captures the landscape in the red, green, and blue bands, representing how the human eye would interpret the scene. Healthy vegetation typically reflects green light whilst absorbing red light, giving the ‘natural colour’ that we expect from agricultural fields.
