Turkey will send a satellite into space next year to track agricultural fields and climate change.

The project, announced at the end of August by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, aims to start a new era in Turkish agriculture.

A microsatellite called Lagari will observe pilot sites that will be selected based on product groups and climate. The Lagari mini-satellite is scheduled to be sent into space next year. It is named after Lagari Hassan Celebi, who, according to legend, made the first successful manned rocket flight.

STM, Savunma Teknolojileri Muhendislik (Defense Technologies Engineering) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey signed a protocol to ensure the use of the satellite for public use.

The satellite created by STM will collect and transmit images to the ministry, which will then be used for agriculture. Images collected from the satellite will be processed according to specific needs. Based on the obtained photographs, a visual database will be created.

These images will be used in the Ministry’s agricultural strategies and R&D projects, which will include yield assessment, early detection of pests using radar technology, and product damage assessment.

In addition, the development of sensitive technologies for agriculture, early warning systems, monitoring the development of crops, identification of plant species and management of cultivated land.