This spectral sensitivity makes it suitable for measuring vegetative condition and because the
satellite passes overhead twice a day, it can be used to detect rapidly changing conditions.
Unfortunately, its use as a precision agriculture tool is limited because the spatial resolution of
the sensor is nominally 1.1km. A possible application of this scanner would be to use the thermal
infrared sensor to estimate daily maximum and minimum temperatures. These temperature
estimates could then be used to determine degree-days that will drive pest development models.
Degree-day models are an essential part of IPM programs and the enhanced spatial coverage
provided by satellites would allow for assessment of spatial variability in predicted events that is
not possible with data from sparsely spaced weather stations currently used for these models.
Remotely sensed data can also be used to determine irrigation scheduling and adequacy of
irrigation systems for uniformly wetting an entire field.