For 100 years, Allied Cooperative has helped farmers in Wisconsin in numerous ways. From pest management to fertilizer consulting, their services help members find success through farming. One additional service the co-op provides is in-season imagery, which is an electronic image of a field captured during the growing season. These images allow farmers to see changes in their farms caused by variables such as drainage, nutrient deficiencies, insect pressure, disease, and other stressors. If you’re interested in how in-season imagery can help you with your farming, consider these frequently asked questions.

Questions About In-Season Imagery

How Do I Arrange It?

Contact Allied Cooperative. They will schedule a plane to fly over your fields. Once the aerial images are processed, you’ll be able to see changes in the health and vigor of your crops as the growing season progresses. Once available, you can find your results on the co-op’s web-based EFC Precision Agronomy Platform.

What Do I Do With the Results?

Aerial photography can show you the big picture of how well your farm is doing. Many farmers use their images to manage different zones in their fields. It is also a good way to assess the effectiveness of fertilizer, pesticides, and irrigation. Many also use the images to visit their fields, take samples, and see up close how the aerial images compare to an inspection on the ground. 

Is Satellite Imagery Available?

Allied Cooperative believes using aircraft to collect farming information is more reliable than using satellites. For example, if there is cloud coverage, no images can be collected by a satellite, but an airplane can still capture usable images. Airplanes also allow the co-op to set specific dates for observation and have results within 48 hours. 

If you’d like have a better perspective on how well your farm is doing in the growing season, in-season imagery can be purchased from Allied Cooperative by contacting an agronomy advisor at (608) 339-3394 or by signing up for their new Discovery program.  Learn more about their farming services online.