Satellite mapping for improving Chinese cotton crop management

A team of Chinese scientists from various institutions have opined that a detailed mapping project of cotton production in Xinjiang may help improve crop management and farming production. To do the mapping, the researchers obtained images from Sentinel-2, a satellite dedicated to vegetation and soil by the European Space Agency.

By mapping the Xinjiang region, which produces 90 percent of all Chinese cotton, they have been able to identify growing distribution in the province from 2018 to 2021.

“The mapping project will help in precision cotton monitoring and policy-making in China,” the team said in a paper that has been made public on Zenodo, an open repository,” the media report stated.

“The accurate mapping of Xinjiang is vital for yield projection, disease prevention, and management,” the team informed.

Chinese cotton production is expected to decline this season due to various climatic conditions which may lead to a drop in yields and will reach 5.55 million tons, down 11 percent over the earlier season.