[Q&A] Successfully Launched Agricultural and Forestry Satellite: How Will It Be Used, from Crop Forecasting to Customized Services for Farmers?

It has been more than two weeks since the agricultural and forestry satellite was launched into space(as of July  23). In the agricultural sector, expectations are high that it will mark the beginning of science-based agricultural policy, but farmers do not yet feel a major impact. And many are likely wondering whether the agricultural and forestry satellite can really bring significant changes to Korean agriculture. Accordingly, Korea Agricultural Technology News asked staff at the Agricultural Satellite Center of the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences under the Rural Development Administration, which is taking the lead in handling agricultural and forestry satellite data, about how the satellite will be used through a written interview..

Q. How is the agricultural and forestry satellite different from existing satellites?
A. It is an observation satellite dedicated to agriculture and forestry, promoted by the Rural Development Administration, the Korea Forest Service, and others. Its observation swath is 120 km, wider than the Land Satellite, whose swath is 12–16 km. Its revisit cycle is 3 days, shorter than the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 (10 days), the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landsat8 (16 days), and the Land Satellite(4–5 days). Its spatial resolution is also 5m in color. The Land Satellite provides 0.5m black-and-white·2m color imagery..

Q. What is the value of the agricultural and forestry satellite?
A. It is the only domestic national satellite capable of photographing the entire country every 3 days. Sentinel-2 (European Space Agency) can capture images 1.6 times less frequently. The plan is to provide the public with precisely corrected imagery free of charge, which is meaningful both for the economic effect of reducing the cost of purchasing 5m-class satellite imagery and for securing data sovereignty. It is also expected to have academic value by using densely captured data to interpret various surface phenomena..

Q. There are high expectations for making supply-demand control more scientific by using agricultural and forestry satellite information, as major vegetables such as garlic· and onions repeatedly face production-area disposal and price fluctuations every year due to failed crop forecasts.
A. Satellite imagery and AI can be used to estimate crop cultivation area and identify potential supply volumes. In addition, time-series satellite imagery can provide detailed parcel-level information on crop shipment area and shipment rates, supporting supply-demand management, and satellite imagery can be used to produce crop growth monitoring and crop condition information..
It will conduct precise, multi-angle observation of farmland at home and abroad. Domestically, it will generate multifaceted data including 42 types of crop observation(cultivation area for 17 crops, harvest/shipment area for 4 crops, growth for 14 crops, yield for 7 crops), as well as 2 types of farmland cover change and 7 types related to agricultural disasters·water resources..
More specifically, it will estimate cultivation area at the parcel level by linking 17 types of crops with an AI classification model, including summer crops such as rice, soybeans grown in paddy fields, and corn, and wheat, winter cabbage, garlic, onions, barley, IRG, green onions, radishes, carrots, cabbage, and fruit trees(apples·pears). It will also precisely detect 4 types of disasters, including inundation·flooding intensified by climate change, lodging, disease, and insect damage, as well as 3 types of soil environment indicators such as soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and agricultural drought. It will also monitor in real time the crop conditions of 11 crop types in North Korea and 10 crop types such as corn, soybeans, and wheat in major grain-producing countries such as the United States·Brazil..
 

Q. How do you process the vast amount of data coming in every 3 days?
A. In line with the satellite’s launch, the Agricultural Satellite Center built in advance an operating system capable of automating the entire process of collecting·processing·managing satellite imagery. It also established high-performance processing·storage computing infrastructure for large-scale image processing..
The agricultural and forestry satellite is equipped with 5 spectral bands advantageous for identifying the growth of crops and forest resources, providing a precise observation base suited to Korea’s agricultural and forestry structure. Once it receives Level 1 imagery from the Korea AeroSpace Administration, the Agricultural Satellite Center will automatically produce agricultural and forestry satellite imagery(Level 2) and vegetation index imagery(Level 3) through the operating system. This process is expected to be completed within 1 day after image reception..
During the initial operation period, the center plans to improve processing performance and stability through continuous operation and inspection of the system, and to gradually strengthen system performance and operational capacity in response to future service expansion and growing user demand..

Q. I believe a ‘field survey·verification team system’ is needed to determine whether the imagery provided by the satellite matches actual field conditions. How are you establishing a concrete ground-truth verification system that will smoothly connect satellite data from the provincial level down to cities and counties and reduce errors?
A. For quality control of the agricultural and forestry satellite’s basic outputs—satellite imagery(Level 2) and vegetation index imagery(Level 3)—the center plans to continuously evaluate and improve image quality using measurement data from ground observation sites for calibration and validation(rice) currently operated at 3 locations nationwide. It will also expand validation to various crops, advance quality control of agricultural and forestry satellite imagery, and gradually expand and build more ground observation sites for calibration and validation..
For Level 4 products, the center plans to evaluate satellite image analysis results using agricultural field survey data collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs·the National Data Office·the Rural Development Administration·the Korea Rural Economic Institute·and the Korea Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service. It has signed MOUs with related institutions to use agricultural field data and will advance satellite information based on accumulated data. It will also strengthen the capacity of extension officers and city/county agricultural civil servants to use satellite information through training courses at the Rural Human Resource Development Center under the Rural Development Administration, and build a system that allows feedback on analysis results..
 

Q. What is the plan for public services that farmers and local governments can actually feel in practice?
A. Farmers will be able to check the growth status of crops on their farms as seen from the sky and carry out the necessary farm management. In other words, when a farmer selects ‘my parcel’ on a smartphone or PC, they will be able to understand growth progress through satellite image-based growth status and changes in time-series vegetation indices. As data accumulates, they will be able to compare ‘how this year’s growth compares with last year’s, and what level my field’s growth is within the surrounding farming area’. First, in 2027, pilot application and service planning will be carried out for parcels cultivated by young farmers, and from 2028 the farming information service will be expanded in stages, reflecting their feedback. By providing crop growth status through the agricultural satellite information service system to farmers and local governments, it will help with farm management and with responding to abnormal growth..
Local governments, too, will be able to spatially manage map-based farming information by city and county through linkage between satellite observation information and a web-based geographic information system(GIS). When a local government selects its city or county in the agricultural satellite information service system, it will be able to manage cultivation area by crop and growth status in dashboard form, and as data accumulates, it will be able to compare·analyze annually the crop conditions and spatial distribution of crops grown in its jurisdiction, contributing to precise local agricultural policy..

Q. Farm households want accurate agricultural disaster damage surveys. Will measures be 마련ed so that people can feel the benefits of damage prevention or post-disaster compensation related to agricultural disasters by using satellite information?
A. Agricultural production is sensitive to weather conditions, and as agricultural damage from frequent abnormal weather increases, farmers’ management risks are growing. However, current damage assessment relies mainly on visual field surveys, making on-site investigation difficult when agricultural disasters occur across large areas. Therefore, there is a need to make damage assessment methods more efficient..
Accordingly, the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences signed a memorandum of understanding(MOU) with the Korea Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service last December for mutual cooperation in data-based agricultural disaster risk management. Under the MOU, the two institutions will cooperate on making field inspections for agricultural policy insurance more scientific using satellite imagery, and on developing crop disaster damage assessment technologies..

Q. Experts say that while 5m resolution makes parcel-level distinction possible, it is somewhat insufficient for identifying fine growth variation within a parcel and prescribing fertilizer, among other things. How are you preparing convergence research that organically combines satellite(macro)-drone(micro)-field robot(ultra-micro) data to address this?
A. Satellite imagery will be used to monitor crop growth by parcel across major production areas on a wide-area, regular basis, identify abnormal growth, and select parcels requiring precise diagnosis. For parcels selected for abnormal growth, drone imagery and field surveys will be used to identify the causes of abnormal growth and the damaged area. Through a satellite-drone-field(robot) linkage system, the plan is to support field-tailored prescriptions such as variable-rate fertilization and pest control..

Q. There are calls for reinforcing manpower and expanding the budget ahead of full-scale mission operations in 2027. How are you preparing?
A. In preparation for the full-scale use of the agricultural and forestry satellite, the Agricultural Satellite Center was newly established within the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences in May 2024 (with a staff quota of 14), and it has continuously built the foundation for collecting·processing·utilizing satellite imagery. From 2027, when full-scale operations begin, additional specialized personnel will be needed for nationwide satellite image processing, production·service of utilization outputs for policy support, and planning·budgeting·project management for follow-up satellites..
In addition, to ensure smooth mission performance and succession of the agricultural and forestry satellite, the center plans to discuss with relevant ministries the development of follow-up satellites and work to secure the related budget. As work expands to include full-scale utilization and observation of the agricultural and forestry satellite, new mission execution, and promotion of follow-up satellites, reinforcing personnel is urgent, and the center will pursue staff increases..

Q. The agricultural and forestry satellite is a multi-ministry cooperation project with the Korea AeroSpace Administration· and the Korea Forest Service. How are governance and cooperation systems being coordinated to smoothly promote data sharing and joint utilization?
A. The Rural Development Administration has established and is operating governance so that data sharing and joint utilization can proceed smoothly across the operation and use of the agricultural and forestry satellite. First, the Rural Development Administration(Agricultural Satellite Center) and the Korea AeroSpace Administration(National Satellite Operation Center) have established a business cooperation system for stable satellite operation, including reception and control of Next-Generation Mid-Sized Satellite No. 4, and are preparing satellite operations. The Rural Development Administration and the Korea Forest Service are continuously promoting practical cooperation through an agricultural and forestry satellite research·operation consultative body, including establishing joint operation rules for the satellite, jointly developing and sharing preprocessing algorithms for satellite image production, and formulating imaging plans..
In addition, when agricultural disasters·calamities occur, a cooperation system has been established so that the three institutions can quickly secure imagery through emergency imaging and jointly analyze·use it. Going forward, the plan is to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation so that agricultural and forestry satellite-based data sharing and joint utilization can be expanded for various disaster responses and policy support in the agriculture and forestry sectors, including wildfire·landslide prevention and monitoring of farmland damage..

Q. What do you think of proposals in some quarters to establish a long-term project organization to promote multi-year research and foster key talent?
A. Based on the satellite image utilization technology development(R&D) currently under way and the agricultural satellite information user group, the center is promoting the development of satellite image utilization outputs and the fostering of key talent..
First, through the R&D project ‘Development of Satellite Image Utilization Technology for Data-Based Agricultural Observation(2026–2030), it plans to develop agricultural satellite utilization outputs and advance algorithms. In fields such as crop cultivation·shipment area, growth, agricultural disasters, farmland, and satellite information system development, researchers from industry·academia·research institutes will carry out R&D tasks and form research groups, thereby fostering agricultural satellite research personnel through multi-year participation..
At the same time, it is also focusing on spreading research outcomes through a user-centered cooperation system. To gather diverse field demand and establish an agricultural satellite information service and utilization system based on user needs, it launched and has been operating the ‘Agricultural Satellite Information User Group’ since last May. Through this, it aims to help create an industrial ecosystem related to agricultural satellites and broaden the base of specialized personnel..

Q. What technical task are you focusing on most in the upcoming performance verification and calibration stage?
A. The technical task receiving the greatest focus is producing and standardizing agricultural and forestry satellite imagery through preprocessing and calibration of the satellite’s raw imagery. During the initial operation period, the center will closely verify the performance of the satellite payload(camera) and optimize calibration algorithms to prepare for stable satellite image production..
In addition, for quality control of agricultural and forestry satellite imagery, it plans to continuously evaluate and improve image quality using observation data from ground observation sites for calibration and validation currently operated at 3 locations nationwide. At the same time, it plans to gradually expand and build more ground observation sites for calibration and validation in order to broaden validation across various crops and advance image quality control..

Q. What will the future of agriculture look like after the successful launch of the agricultural and forestry satellite changes it?
A. Satellites can now constantly observe all farmland nationwide at the parcel level. Whereas the past relied on sample-based field surveys, the future will shift to satellite-based full enumeration, and the continuously accumulated parcel-by-parcel observation history will become a core data foundation for agriculture’s digital transformation..
Using accumulated data from the same parcel, it will be possible to compare with normal-year growth and analyze abnormal growth, and changes in crop conditions more accurately, and the more data accumulates, the more advanced customized farm management and farming decision support reflecting parcel-specific characteristics will become. City·county agricultural technology centers and private farming consulting firms will provide customized farming support services using satellite information, and based on accumulated data, this will expand into various digital farming services such as crop growth diagnosis, cultivation management, and field consulting..