Isro’s new tool enables real-time monitoring of wheat crops

A new, semi-automated framework developed by Isro’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) is providing near real-time monitoring of crop sowing and harvesting during the current Rabi season across India.The Comprehensive Remote Sensing Observation on Crop Progress (CROP) framework has systematically assessed wheat sown areas and overall crop conditions using optical and synthetic aperture radar datasets from multiple satellites for the 2024-25 Rabi season.

Monitoring has focused on eight major wheat-growing states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
“According to satellite data analysis, the wheat sown area as of March 31, 2025, stands at 330.8 lakh hectares, closely matching Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare statistics of 324.4 lakh hectares reported on February 4, 2025,” Isro said.
A remote sensing-based Vegetation Health Index (VHI) has been employed to monitor crop conditions and drought stress.

In January, crop conditions were stable with timely sowing and satisfactory growth, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. February saw rising temperatures and rainfall deficits causing concerns about potential yield losses due to heat stress during grain filling stages.

By late March, however, Rabi crops demonstrated notable resilience, supported by favourable weather conditions in late February and March,” Isro said. It added that crop maturity progressed well, leading to optimistic projections. The Rabi crop harvest began in December, showing progressive increases through January, February, March, and the first week of April 2025.

An experimental assessment of wheat production has been conducted by integrating satellite-derived parameters with a process-based crop growth simulation model at 5 km × 5 km spatial resolution. Total wheat production from the eight major wheat-growing states is estimated at 122.7 million tonnes as of March 31, 2025.This study showcases a methodology for near real-time monitoring of crop areas using multi-source satellite data, including progressive mapping of wheat crop area and production estimation. “The framework serves as a proof-of-concept highlighting potential for operational scalability, though the methodology requires further refinement to enhance accuracy and timeliness in supporting agricultural planning and food security decision-making at the national level,” Isro said.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.