By Jamie Martin
Farmers and ranchers now have advanced water management support thanks to NASA and USGS. The FARMS tool, developed under the OpenET initiative, uses satellite-based evapotranspiration (ET) data to help farmers track water loss, improve irrigation strategies, and enhance crop efficiency.
“The goal is to empower users with actionable, science-based data to support decisions about water management across the West,” said Forrest Melton, OpenET project scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center.
How FARMS Works
The FARMS tool builds on OpenET’s Data Explorer, launched in 2021, which integrates Landsat satellite imagery with agricultural and weather data. The tool calculates evapotranspiration by analyzing soil moisture, air temperature, wind speed, and precipitation, helping farmers better plan their irrigation needs.
“We designed FARMS with direct input from users to make complex data easy to use,” said Jordan Harding, app developer and interface design leader from HabitatSeven.
Key Features and Benefits
FARMS provides field-to-field comparisons, allowing farmers to pinpoint irrigation inefficiencies, detect problem areas, and automate ET and water use reporting.
The tool’s quarter-acre resolution is a major advantage, offering more accurate data compared to other global models that only provide insights at half-mile intervals.
For farmers like Brett Baker, this historical data is critical for long-term planning. “Using FARMS gives us the ability to review historical trends and changes to understand what worked and what didn’t year to year,” he said.
Kansas farmer Dwane Roth sees the tool as a game-changer: “Thanks to OpenET, I can now monitor water loss from my crops in real-time. It’s revolutionizing agriculture.”
Future of FARMS
NASA and its partners continue refining FARMS, gathering feedback from farmers and resource managers. “We’re definitely looking to the community to help us further refine that platform,” said OpenET senior software engineer Will Carrara.
FARMS was developed in collaboration with NASA, USGS, USDA, OpenET Inc., and leading universities, with input from over 100 agricultural stakeholders.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-songbird839
Categories: National