Testing the Potentialities of Stratospheric Platforms in Agriculture: Preliminary Results for Modeling Field Irrigation Flow

In the scientific context of technology transfer, the integration of Earth Observation data from aerial and satellite sensors can significantly enhance observational capabilities. This synergy offers great potential for the research and development of innovative products with added value. This work presents preliminary results and considerations about image data acquired from sensors mounted on board of innovative stratospheric platforms for agricultural applications. Notably, this marks the first instance where data from stratospheric probes are being tested in this field. The pilot survey this study refers to was focused on a target agricultural area served by an historical system of channels providing flow irrigation to the local crops. The expected goal was to give a comprehensive description of the field of motion of water when irrigation is activated. Thermal and multispectral sensors were mounted on stratospheric platforms, with acquisitions conducted during the summer crop phenological phases. The study area is located in the Cuneo province, near Mondovì in northwestern Italy, where irrigation is managed by the “Consorzio Irriguo del Canale Brobbio Pesio.” The primary goal of this experiment was to test the platforms’ ability to (i) monitor and map irrigation dynamics during field flooding, identifying any anomalies, and (ii) assess vegetation response to irrigation. From an agronomic perspective, this type of survey could enable a spatially based evaluation of the efficiency of the current irrigation system, potentially guiding local agricultural policies aimed at optimizing water supply. At this stage, results are preliminary, focusing on the description of the system, its potential, and its limitations, as well as the initial exploitation of multispectral and thermal data. Challenges encountered during data acquisition and initial processing are discussed, along with the strategies employed to address them.