WatchITgrow, the web application for potato monitoring in Belgium

Belgapom WatchITgrow

WatchITgrow, the web application for potato monitoring in Belgium

WatchITgrow, the web application for potato monitoring in Belgium, already introduced a number of extra features earlier this year.

As such WatchITgrow aims to contribute to improved crop monitoring, in view of increasing yields in a sustainable way, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

A brief overview of the new features:
 
  • Shadow map of your field with the sunny vs. shadowed parts of the field. You can use this map as input for variable rate planting. By planting less in the shadowed parts plants get more sunlight, water and nutrients compared to normal planting density and will result in higher yield. This practice allows double advantage: an economy in planting and better yield in shadow zones. The map is also a handy tool for creating green zones in the shaded field borders in the frame of the greening obligations.

  • Easily entering field data
    • Input data for several fields at the same time is now also possible
    • Import of field boundaries and information via shape or kml files

  • The field sheet is further extended. You can now register more data w.r.t. fertilization, crop protection, irrigation, development stages and harvest, largely in line with Vegaplan, GlobalG.A.P,… standards, and you can easily export the information from the field sheet to a PDF report.

  • If your field is located in Flanders you can get an overview of the main crops grown on the field since 2010 via the field history.

  • Besides potatoes you can now also monitor other crops: arable crops (maize, sugar beets, wheat,…) as well as vegetables (peas, beans, spinach, carrots,…)

  • The greenness curve of your field is now compared with the regional greenness curve.

  • For potatoes a reference curve is available as well as the estimated development stage.

  • Based on the deviation of the greenness w.r.t. the reference, fields can easily be ranked.

  • Only cloud free satellite images are shown thanks to improved filtering.