In this opportunity we are going to show an option to carry out the activity of monitoring fields of crops through images of the satellites Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2. As indicated in its complement characteristics, the so-called agknow for QGIS allows the use of the geocledian.com remote sensing API. The API provides a field monitoring service that allows you to monitor any agricultural field worldwide with a variety of vegetation indices, crop parameters, time series analysis and comparison features based on satellite data.
Plug-in features include download and analysis of visible raster time series and vegetation indices from recorded fields. The data are currently based on Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2. A detailed product overview is available at https://sites.google.com/site/geocledian
Step 1: Plugin Installation
We identified the plugin “agknow for QGIS” within the list that are available to install.
Step 2: Activating the add-on
For administration of the plug-in over an area of self-interest, please note that you will need a registered API key from geocledian.com. When you activate the add-on, you will notice that it incorporates a connection panel, by default is delivered with a demo key that allows access to some test plots around the world for evaluation purposes. We also appreciate that our layers panel creates a vectorial (temporary) coverage called “parcels” and also a container or group of layers for images.
Usually at the bottom of the view or canvas for maps, a horizontal panel is incorporated with a bar that includes buttons that activate various types of vegetation indices and other vegetative parameters.
Step 3: Establishing the test connection
When we click on the “Connect” button, a registered parcel is added (ID: 131241 – Dolmont 8), in addition depending on the parameter activated in the horizontal panel, in this case “Vitality”, the group of images is created with that name. By default, the option to download Sentinel-2 images, which include a period of time, is active.
Step 4: Viewing images over time
The interesting thing about this plugin is the possibility to see the downloaded images in video sequence, allowing to appreciate the existing changes in time. Just click on the control button.
You can vary the parameter, for example if we want to have NDVI images of the same plot, simply activate that button and automatically download the images processed with the values of the NDVI vegetation index.
If we wish we can superimpose a base map to know more detail of the plot and its surroundings.
In short, it is interesting to have the possibility of having a service to register a plot and download specific images of the same plot over a period of time. Although as we indicated previously it is necessary to have an API Key. Entering here we can register to request an administrator account. In a short time they will contact you through your mail to ask for more information.
Translated from: Carbajallosa