Developing resilient agricultural systems requires close collaboration between research institutions, industry, and agricultural practice. At the Earth Observation Research Cluster (EORC), University of Würzburg, an ongoing joint study with the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), Intracrop Ltd., and Ackerbau GmbH Rottenbauer is exploring how Earth observation can support the assessment of crop resilience under drought conditions.
The study investigates the response of winter wheat and sugar beet to drought stress following the application of a biostimulant. To capture crop responses throughout the growing season, the partners combine hyperspectral and multispectral UAS imagery with extensive field measurements. This comprehensive ground-truth dataset includes observations of crop development and physiological characteristics, providing the foundation for interpreting the remotely sensed information.
By integrating high-resolution drone data with detailed in-situ observations, the collaboration aims to improve our understanding of how crop responses to water limitation can be detected and quantified. The work also contributes to evaluating the potential of Earth observation for monitoring crop resilience and supporting future climate adaptation strategies in agriculture.
The research is currently ongoing, and data collection continues throughout the season. The results will be analysed as part of an accompanying Master’s thesis, with the final evaluation expected after completion of the field campaign.
The collaboration recently provided an opportunity for project partners, including colleagues from Intracrop, to meet in northern Bavaria, exchange experiences from the current field season, and discuss the next steps of the study. Such regular exchanges help ensure that expertise from research, industry, and agricultural practice is brought together throughout the project.
Further reading: IntraCrop collaborates with University of Würzburg and IntraCrop is collaborating on an innovative research project with the EORC at the University of Würzburg
