For a given pixel size, the same system flown from a flying aircraft has greater sensitivity than if it were flown from a satellite, because the satellite sensor is further away from the field. Reliable production management capability described above can't be achieved from satellites because of fundamental limitations imposed by the physics of sensors and of the atmosphere. The remote sensing system must remove the effects of clutter and must also have sufficient sensitivity to detect all field problems and conditions each time it flies over the field. A Look Ahead Remote sensing has reached the performance level that will make it one of the two major tools driving agriculture for the next few decades. The other tool is biotechnology.
Clutterless imagery is a powerful production management tool right now.
But developments that are shaping up in the near term will make it even more powerful. If field problems and conditions are detected early enough, many of them can be corrected before they reduce yields. Another trend that may affect much of US agriculture is the major synergism between consistent, reliable imagery and precision agriculture. They both enable site-specific agriculture. There is some overlap in capability but most of it is complementary.