ADAS, Assimila and UCL are using the thinking from MULTIPLY to develop the concept of a ‘Crop Intelligence System’ that could provide information to growers on crop growth and performance. The team won an Innovate UK feasibility study under the Satellites for Agri-Food programme. The project started in July 2016 and runs for twelve months. It aims to examine both the technical and commercial feasibility of generating ‘canopy curves’ on a field by field basis for all fields within a region, or country, allowing comparisons of crop performance between fields, farms, years, soils and management practices.

By integrating with soil and weather datasets it should be possible to provide a dashboard for crop growth. Giving information on light and water resources available and captured in each field. This would be an invaluable tool in the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) which seeks to understand variation in crop yields in the UK and across Europe. The MULTIPLY and Crop Intelligence System projects have been presented to farmers and industry participants at YEN meetings in November 2016 and spring 2017.