Farmonaut AI Field Intelligence · Case Study · Georgia, USA

Precision Blueberry Farming Powered by Satellite AI Across Georgia’s Finest Farms

How 61 blueberry fields spanning ~518 acres in Appling & Bacon Counties, Georgia, are leveraging Farmonaut’s satellite monitoring and AI advisory platform to optimise yield, reduce input waste, and stay ahead of pest pressure — all in real time.

Appling & Bacon Counties, Georgia, USA

Monitoring Period: Feb – Mar 2026

Satellite: Sentinel-1 (SAR) & Sentinel-2 (Optical)

Crop: Blueberry (Multi-Variety)

Fields Monitored

518 ac

Total Farm Area

Blueberry Varieties

3,650

Avg Expected Yield (kg/ac)

292

AI Advisory Reports

Advisory Modules Active

Aerial View Of Georgia Blueberry Farm Fields

📍 Appling & Bacon Counties, Georgia, USA 518 Acres · 61 Fields

Executive Summary

A comprehensive look at how Georgia’s blueberry producers are transforming farm management through satellite intelligence and AI-driven decision support.

A group of blueberry growers in Appling County (the “Applin” and “Pine” farm clusters) and Bacon County (the “Field” and “Randy” farm clusters), Georgia, enrolled their entire blueberry operations — 61 distinct field plots covering ~518 acres — into the Farmonaut Satellite AI Advisory platform.

The platform delivers automated, field-specific advisories every 2–5 days by fusing multi-spectral optical imagery (Sentinel-2) with Synthetic Aperture Radar data (Sentinel-1) and regional weather models. Seven distinct advisory modules run simultaneously for each field: Pest & Disease, Irrigation, Fertilisation, Weed Management, Soil Health, Crop Health (NDVI/NDWI), and Growth & Yield Estimation.

For the 2026 blueberry season, fields are currently in the critical Bloom and Bud Swell stages (February–March 2026). Harvest is expected to begin April 2026 and run through July 2026, with farm-wide average yields projected at 3,650 kg per acre.

“Having satellite-based NDVI and irrigation recommendations arriving for every field, every few days, means we can catch problems before they become crop losses — something no scouting programme could match across 500+ acres.”

— Georgia Blueberry Producer, Appling County

Fresh Blueberries On The Bush In A Georgia Blueberry Farm

🫐 Rabbiteye & Southern Highbush varieties — Appling County, Georgia

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Farm Clusters Overview

Farm Group	Fields	Area (ac)	County
Applin Farm	19	97.5	Appling
Pine Farm	4	60.4	Appling
Randy Farm	10	67.8	Appling
Field Farm (numbered)	28	292.8	Bacon
Total	61	~518	GA, USA

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Blueberry Varieties Cultivated

Optimus Patrecia Farthing SuziBlue Brightwell PowderBlue Legacy Sentinel KeeCrisp Meadowlark Premier Albus Austin

Mix of Southern Highbush (Optimus, Patrecia, Farthing, Legacy) and Rabbiteye (Brightwell, PowderBlue, Premier) varieties suited to Georgia’s climate.

The Farmonaut Technology Stack

Every field advisory is the output of a multi-layer data fusion pipeline combining space-borne remote sensing, agro-meteorological modelling, and AI-driven agronomic logic.

🛰️

Sentinel-2 Optical

Multi-spectral bands (NIR, Red, SWIR) processed to derive NDVI, NDWI, and a five-class crop health map (Very High · High · Moderate · Low · No Vegetation) at 10 m resolution with a 2–5 day revisit cycle.

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Sentinel-1 SAR

C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar penetrates cloud cover to derive Relative Soil Moisture (RSM) and surface roughness indicators, enabling irrigation decisions even under overcast Georgia spring skies.

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JEEVN AI Engine

Farmonaut’s proprietary AI fuses satellite indices with phenological models, regional weather forecasts, and soil survey data to generate field-specific, date-specific advisories for every module.

☁️

Cloud Platform

Interactive web dashboard with field boundary overlays, time-series NDVI charts, downloadable PDF reports, and mobile-friendly advisory cards — accessible anytime from any device.

Scientific References Used by the AI: University of Georgia Extension Circular 1105 (blueberry fertilisation) · FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (irrigation) · UGA Blueberry Management Guide (IPM) · USDA NRCS Soil Survey for Appling & Bacon Counties · Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium guidelines · Sentinel-1/2 Imagery Interpretation Guidelines for South-eastern US Plantation Crops.

Platform Dashboard

Farmonaut AI Dashboard — Field-level advisory reports, NDVI maps & irrigation schedules

Module 1 — Crop Health Monitoring

Sentinel-2 derived NDVI and five-class satellite imagery classify each field’s vegetation health on every available cloud-free overpass.

Satellite Imagery Of Agricultural Land From Orbit

SENTINEL-2 · OPTICAL 18–21 MAR 2026

NDVI Class

🛰️ Sentinel-2 Multi-Spectral NDVI — Appling & Bacon County field boundaries, March 2026

Crop Health Colour Classes (as of 18–21 March 2026)

Farmonaut maps every pixel within each field boundary to one of five crop health categories based on NDVI thresholds calibrated for blueberry phenology.

Green (Excellent): NDVI > 0.65 — dense, healthy canopy actively photosynthesising

Purple (Good): NDVI 0.45–0.65 — healthy bloom/bud-swell; expected for March stage

Orange (Moderate): NDVI 0.25–0.45 — acceptable post-dormancy; monitor closely

Red (Low/Dormant): NDVI < 0.25 — dormant or stressed; may need intervention

White (No Vegetation): Bare soil, roads, or water bodies

Note: During the March Bloom/Bud-Swell stage, Orange & Red classifications are expected as canopy re-grows from dormancy. The AI benchmarks NDVI against crop-stage norms, not absolute thresholds.

Field-Level Crop Health Snapshot

Applin 1 (3.5 ac) Bud Swell

Purple 92% · Green 8% — Healthy pre-bloom

Applin 2 (3.3 ac) Bloom Active

Orange 88% · Red 12% — Active bloom, canopy rebuilding

Applin 3 (3.6 ac) Bloom Active

Orange 92% · Red 8% — Strong bloom, good NDVI trend

Field 1 – Optimus (9.9 ac) Bloom Stage

Red 94% · Orange 6% — NDVI 0.45, rising from 0.26 (Mar 3)

Field-61 (94.4 ac) Strong Growth

Green 54% · Purple 23% — Best health on farm; SAR-confirmed high RSM

0.26 → 0.45

NDVI Trend (Field 1 · Mar 3 → Mar 18)

+73% growth in 15 days — healthy post-dormancy flush

0.53

Peak NDVI (Applin 1 · Bud Swell)

Above healthy range (0.25–0.35) — excellent vascular activity

0.76

RSM — Relative Soil Moisture (Mar 18)

Saturated conditions detected via Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter

Module 2 — AI Irrigation Advisory

Field-specific daily irrigation schedules computed from FAO-56 Penman-Monteith evapotranspiration, Sentinel-1 RSM, NDWI, and 7-day weather probability forecasts.

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7-Day Irrigation Schedule — Field 1 (Optimus, 9.87 ac)

Date	Method	Qty (mm)	Time	ET / Rain
19 Mar	✔ Drip	3.5	05:00–08:00	Mod · 0.0 mm · 10%
20 Mar	✔ Drip	3.2	05:00–08:00	Mod · 0.0 mm · 15%
21 Mar	✔ Drip	3.5	05:00–08:00	Mod · 2.1 mm · 30%
22 Mar	✔ Drip	3.8	05:00–08:00	High · 0.0 mm · 5%
23 Mar	✔ Drip	3.5	05:00–08:00	Mod · 0.0 mm · 10%
24 Mar	✔ Drip	3.2	05:00–08:00	Low · 1.5 mm · 25%
25 Mar	✔ Drip	3.5	05:00–08:00	Mod · 0.0 mm · 5%

Drip irrigation is prioritised over micro-sprinkler and overhead sprinkler to minimise canopy wetness during the bloom stage and reduce Botrytis risk.

AI Irrigation Rationale (Mar 2026)

Crop Stage

Bloom / Bud Swell — Critical Moisture Period

Consistent moisture is essential for fruit set. Any prolonged soil tension leads to flower drop and reduced berry count per cluster.

ET Estimate

ET₀ = 3.5–4.5 mm/day · Kc = 0.7

Adjusted for moderate spring temperatures. Kc derived from regional phenological stage models aligned with UGA Extension blueberry guides.

SAR Signal

NDWI < 0.3 · RSM = 0.76

Sentinel-1 detects high surface soil moisture but Sentinel-2 NDWI < 0.3 indicates canopy water stress — drip irrigation recommended daily.

Timing Logic

05:00–08:00 Early-Morning Window

Early application prevents mid-day canopy wetting, reduces disease risk, and ensures water reaches the root zone before peak ET hours.

💡 How to Calculate Irrigation Run Time

Formula: Time (hrs) = (Qty mm × Emitter area m²) ÷ Flow rate (L/hr) Example: 3.5 mm × 0.4 m² ÷ 2 L/hr = 0.7 hours (42 minutes) This formula is included in every field advisory for easy on-farm calculation.

Module 3 — Smart Fertilisation

Nutrient application rates are computed per-field using satellite-derived NDVI, regional soil survey data, and UGA Extension Circular 1105 blueberry fertilisation guidelines.

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Nutrient Advisory — Field 1 (Optimus) · Mar 18, 2026

Nutrient	Current (ppm)	Ideal (ppm)	Status
N	11.5	10.0–20.0	Moderate
P	38.0	30.0–60.0	Low Gap
K	50.0	60.0–100.0	Moderate
S	12.0	10.0–20.0	Low
Zn	1.2	1.0–3.0	Moderate

Application Rates

Nutrient	Chemical Source	Rate (kg/ac)	Organic Alt.	Org. Rate
N	Ammonium Sulfate	15.43	Feather Meal	26.75 kg/ac
P	Triple Superphosphate	14.11	Bone Meal	42.33 kg/ac
K	Potassium Sulfate	54.6	Kelp Meal	1365 kg/ac
S	Elemental Sulfur	2.73	Composted Pine Bark	273 kg/ac
Zn	Zinc Sulfate	1.97	Poultry Litter (aged)	71 kg/ac

AI Fertiliser Reasoning

1. Nitrogen (N): Current NDVI of 0.45 at Bloom stage signals active uptake. The 3.24 kg/ac gap is bridged by 15.43 kg/ac Ammonium Sulfate (21% N) via fertigation through the existing drip system.

2. Phosphorus (P): Adjusted for Bloom stage to support root and flower development. Triple Superphosphate (45% P₂O₅) at 14.11 kg/ac meets the 6.35 kg gap.

3. Potassium (K): Critical for fruit set — the largest deficit. Potassium Sulfate (50% K₂O) at 54.6 kg/ac addresses the 27.3 kg gap. Co-applicable with N via fertigation.

4. Sulfur & Zinc: Elemental Sulfur (2.73 kg/ac) maintains pH stability; Zinc Sulfate (1.97 kg/ac) supports enzymatic activity critical for berry development.

⚠️ Application Frequency

The AI recommends fertigation every 1–3 days during the bloom stage to prevent nutrient leaching and maintain steady availability. Ammonium Sulfate and Potassium Sulfate can be co-applied through the drip system. Elemental Sulfur should be soil-applied separately.

Reference: University of Georgia Extension Circular 1105 · Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium nutrient-removal guidelines

Module 4 — Pest & Disease Intelligence

The AI cross-references NDVI, NDWI, RSM, phenological stage, and regional IPM models to assign probability scores and solution pairs for every detected threat.

Disease Risk Detected (March 2026)

Mummy Berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi)

Organic: Mulch burial | Chemical: Indar 2F / Propiconazole

94% HIGH
Botrytis Blight (Botrytis cinerea)

Organic: Improve airflow | Chemical: Captan 80WDG / Fenhexamid

81% MOD
Phomopsis Twig Blight

Organic: Prune & destroy | Chemical: Topsin M

62% MOD
Exobasidium Leaf Spot

Organic: Copper soap spray | Chemical: Kocide 3000

38% LOW
Phytophthora Root Rot

Organic: Improve drainage | Chemical: Ridomil Gold

45% LOW

Pest Risk Detected (March 2026)

Blueberry Gall Midge

Organic: Entrust SC (Spinosad) | Chemical: Movento spray

96% HIGH
Flower Thrips

Organic: Spinosad / Neem oil | Chemical: Acetamiprid / Spinetoram

82% MOD
Spotted Wing Drosophila

Organic: Kaolin clay | Chemical: Delegate WG

55% MOD
Scale Insects

Organic: Horticultural oil | Chemical: Dinotefuran

40% LOW
Blueberry Bud Mite

Organic: Sulphur dust | Chemical: Abamectin

32% LOW

🚨 Alert: High NDWI (0.40) and RSM (0.76) in March create ideal conditions for Mummy Berry and Botrytis Blight during the susceptible bloom window. Gall Midge pressure is at its seasonal peak due to emerging floral tissue. Immediate fungicide and insecticide applications are advised per field-level IPM calendar.

Agronomist Scouting Blueberry Field For Pests And Disease

FIELD IPM SCOUTING

Replaced by AI advisory — 518 acres monitored remotely

Mummy Berry · 94% Gall Midge · 96%

🔍 Satellite AI replaces manual scouting — pest alerts generated field-by-field every 2–5 days

Module 5 — Weed Management

Canopy gap analysis from NDVI time series identifies weed emergence windows; soil moisture data from SAR calibrates germination risk for each species.

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Annual Ryegrass

Probability: 85%

High RSM promotes spring germination in canopy gaps. Competing for Nitrogen during the nutrient-intensive flowering period. Organic: Mechanical cultivation Chemical: Paraquat directed spray

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Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

Probability: 68–88%

Dense spring flush in wet, open-canopy conditions. Most problematic in Applin fields with wider row spacing. Organic: Manual weeding / flame Chemical: Simazine pre-emergent

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Common Chickweed (Stellaria media)

Probability: 70%

Cool, moist spring conditions in March create peak germination risk. Competes for soil moisture during critical fruit-set stages. Organic: Flame weeding Chemical: Paraquat application

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Annual Bluegrass (Poa annua)

Probability: 60%

Dense seed bank in Bacon County fields. Proliferates in saturated soil conditions detected via RSM > 0.7. Organic: Mulch layer application Chemical: Fluazifop-P-butyl

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Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Probability: 42%

Late-season risk in field borders. NDVI gaps along field edges trigger early alert. Will compete in April–May if not managed. Organic: Early hand removal Chemical: Halosulfuron

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AI Weed Detection Logic

NDVI dips in early March (down to 0.28) flag significant canopy gaps, enabling the AI to predict weed emergence windows before visible scouting would detect infestations. High RSM from SAR data modulates germination probability scores for each species.

Module 6 — Soil Health Management

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), pH, and salinity assessments derived from USDA NRCS surveys, fertiliser input modelling, and satellite-calibrated soil indices.

Soil Health Indicators — Representative Fields

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) 0.17% — Critically Low

Optimal for blueberry: 2.3–3.5% · Current: 0.17% · Deficit: ~2.13%

Soil pH 5.2 — Medium (Target: 4.5–5.5)

Within blueberry range — acidifying regime maintains optimal pH

Salinity Low — Excellent

High solubility sulfate-based fertilisers with efficient drip leaching maintain low EC

SOC Range Across All 61 Fields

0.10% 0.11–0.15% 0.16–0.20% 0.21–0.25% All fields are below the 2.3% optimal threshold for blueberry production. The entire operation requires a long-term SOC improvement programme.

AI Soil Management Recommendations

Priority Action

Increase Soil Organic Carbon

Apply peat moss, pine bark mulch, or aged sawdust. These acidic organic amendments increase carbon levels AND maintain the low pH (4.5–5.5) essential for blueberry nutrient uptake via shallow, fibrous root systems.

pH Management

Elemental Sulfur Acidification

Ammonium Sulfate and Elemental Sulfur fertiliser applications are predicted to maintain pH at 5.2. Soil acidification programme designed per C. Brewer (2018) guidelines for Georgia blueberry production.

Monitoring

SAVI Index Tracking via Satellite

With SOC this low, the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) is monitored via satellite to avoid over-estimation of canopy health caused by high soil reflectance exposure.

Long-Term

CEC and Moisture Retention Improvement

Low SOC leads to poor Cation Exchange Capacity and moisture retention — vital for acid-loving, shallow-root blueberries. Multi-year compost programme targeted across all 61 fields.

Module 7 — Growth & Yield Estimation

Farmonaut’s yield forecasting engine combines satellite NDVI trajectories, phenological stage models, nutrient status, and historical regional yield benchmarks to generate field-level harvest forecasts updated with every satellite pass.

Farm-Wide Average

3,650

kg per acre · 2026 Season

Local range: 1,850 – 4,860 kg/ac

Harvest: April – July 2026

Yield by Farm Cluster

Field Farm (Bacon Co.) 3,450–4,050 kg/ac

Applin Farm (Appling Co.) 3,250–3,850 kg/ac

Randy Farm (Appling Co.) 3,150–3,700 kg/ac

Pine Farm (Appling Co.) 3,050–3,580 kg/ac

Yield Estimation Methodology

NDVI Trajectory

Rising NDVI from 0.26 → 0.45 in 15 days confirms post-dormancy flush aligned with bloom phenology for Georgia April harvest.

Stage Calibration

Kc = 0.7 at bloom · Kc = 0.4 at bud swell. Stage-specific models aligned with UGA Blueberry Production Guide phenological calendars.

Limiting Factors

Moderate K and Zn deficiencies and high Gall Midge pressure reduce yield slightly below theoretical maximum despite favourable RSM (0.76).

📊

Selected Field-Level Yield Forecasts (Latest Advisory per Field)

Field Name	Area (ac)	Variety	NDVI (Mar)	Exp. Yield (kg/ac)	Local Min (kg/ac)	Local Max (kg/ac)	Harvest Period
Field 1 – Optimus	9.87	Optimus (SHB)	0.45	3,450	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Field 2 – Patrecia	10.12	Patrecia (SHB)	0.42	3,580	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Field 4 – Farthing	8.84	Farthing (SHB)	0.48	3,750	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Field 57 – Farthing	15.52	Farthing (SHB)	0.46	3,680	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Field 61 – Optimus	7.18	Optimus (SHB)	0.50	3,980	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Field-61	94.43	Mixed Rabbiteye	0.55	4,050	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
Applin 1	3.50	SHB Mixed	0.53	3,580	1,814	3,628	Apr 2026
Applin 10	8.25	SHB Mixed	0.40	3,350	1,814	3,628	Apr–Jul 2026
Randy 1	3.05	SHB Mixed	0.44	3,420	1,814	3,628	Apr–Jul 2026
Pine 3	17.21	Rabbiteye	0.38	3,150	1,814	3,628	Apr–Jul 2026
Field-55	18.53	Mixed SHB	0.47	3,720	2,268	4,536	Apr–Jul 2026
pine 2	19.44	Rabbiteye	0.36	3,080	1,814	3,628	Apr–Jul 2026

Why Farmonaut Transforms Blueberry Production

Traditional scouting, manual soil testing, and calendar-based spray programmes cannot match the speed, coverage, or precision of satellite AI advisory at scale.

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Catch Problems Before They’re Visible

NDVI anomalies flag canopy stress 10–14 days before visible symptoms appear. Early Mummy Berry and Gall Midge alerts allow targeted intervention before populations reach economically damaging thresholds.

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Reduce Input Costs by up to 20–30%

Precision irrigation eliminates over-watering; field-specific fertiliser rates prevent luxury consumption. Only apply what each field actually needs — when and where it needs it — based on real satellite data.

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Maximise Yield Per Acre

Yield forecasts updated every 2–5 days allow growers to adjust harvest crew scheduling and cold storage capacity. For a 500-acre operation, a 5% yield improvement represents hundreds of thousands of additional revenue.

🗺️

Manage 60+ Fields Like a Single Dashboard

Without satellite AI, managing 61 fields across two counties would require multiple agronomists and daily field visits. Farmonaut reduces that to a single daily dashboard review — with field-by-field actionable detail.

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Cloud Cover? No Problem.

Sentinel-1 SAR penetrates Georgia’s frequent spring overcast conditions, delivering soil moisture data even when optical imagery is unavailable. Advisory continuity is never compromised by weather.

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Accessible Anywhere, Anytime

Interactive maps, NDVI time-series charts, and downloadable PDF reports are accessible on any device. Share field advisories with farm workers, crop consultants, or buyers directly from the platform.

Measured Impact & Outcomes

Aggregate outcomes from the 2026 blueberry season advisory programme across all 61 monitored fields.

Blueberry Harvest Season – Fresh Blueberries Being Picked

~1,890 Tonnes

Projected 2026 Season Production

April – July 2026 Harvest

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518

Acres Under AI Advisory

📡

292

AI Advisories Generated

⚠️

Active Threat Categories Detected

🔄

2–5

Day Advisory Update Cycle

“The NDVI maps showed us that Field 2 was lagging behind the others by nearly two weeks in canopy development — something we would have missed until harvest. We applied extra N and K through the drip and watched the NDVI recover. That field is now tracking our best yield estimate.”

— Farm Manager, Bacon County Blueberry Operation

“We were applying irrigation based on weather station data at the county office, 12 miles away. Farmonaut showed our fields had 0.76 RSM when we thought they were dry. We cut irrigation by 25% that week and saved water and pumping costs without any stress to the crop.”

— Grower, Appling County

Projected Season Outcomes (April–July 2026)

Total Projected Production ~1,890 tonnes

Fields with NDVI Trend Rising 47 / 61 fields

High-Priority Pest/Disease Alerts Issued 61 fields (Mummy Berry, Gall Midge)

Irrigation Recommendations Delivered 7 days × 61 fields = 427 daily plans

SOC Improvement Programme Initiated All 61 fields — multi-year plan

Fertiliser Plans Optimised N-P-K-S-Zn · All 61 fields

How Farmonaut Works — Step by Step

Getting started is simple. From field registration to AI advisory in minutes.

Draw field boundaries on the interactive map or upload shapefiles. Farmonaut ingests your farm layout in minutes.

Satellite Analysis Begins

Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites continuously overpass your fields, downloading imagery every 2–5 days automatically.

AI Generates Advisory

The JEEVN AI engine fuses satellite indices, weather data, and crop models to produce field-specific advisories across 7 modules.

Act & Track Outcomes

Receive actionable recommendations on your dashboard. Implement in the field and track improvement through the next satellite pass.

Ready to Transform Your Farm with Satellite AI Advisory?

Join thousands of farmers across the world who are using Farmonaut’s precision agriculture platform to grow more, spend less, and farm smarter. Start monitoring your fields with satellite intelligence today.

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✓ Covers any crop, any geography ✓ No hardware required — pure satellite ✓ 7 AI advisory modules included ✓ Field-level precision at farm-wide scale ✓ Supports Organic & Conventional farms

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