USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to Use Planet Basemaps to Support their 2021 Growing Season Assessment

Rhea-AI Summary

Planet Federal, a subsidiary of Planet Labs, has partnered with the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to incorporate Planet Basemaps into its data collection processes. This integration aims to improve spatial granularity and timely assessments of the 2021 growing season, enhancing disaster response observations. The merger with dMY Technology Group (NYSE:DMYQ) will transition Planet to a publicly traded company, expanding its reach within the agricultural sector, vital for informed crop management decisions.

Positive

• Partnership with USDA's NASS to integrate Planet Basemaps for improved agricultural data collection.
• Enhanced satellite data expected to boost accuracy in state- and county-level crop yield assessments.
• The merger with dMY Technology Group will facilitate Planet's transition to a publicly traded company, potentially increasing visibility and investment opportunities.

Negative

• None.

Planet Federal, a wholly owned subsidiary of Planet Labs Inc., a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth, has inked a deal with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to integrate Planet Basemaps into NASS’s robust data collection and analysis processes. With Planet data, NASS will begin exploring higher spatial granularity and timely assessments of the 2021 growing season. Planet recently entered into a definitive merger agreement with dMY Technology Group, Inc. IV (NYSE:DMYQ), a special purpose acquisition company, to become a publicly-traded company.

Annually, NASS conducts hundreds of surveys and prepares reports covering virtually every aspect of the U.S. agricultural sector. Since 2007, NASS has used satellite data from missions such as Landsat, Sentinel 2, the Disaster Monitoring Constellation, and Resourcesat-2 to operationally derive land cover products, investigate crop progress and conditions, and produce crop production statistics throughout the growing season. The addition of Planet’s satellite data will further this work and also help NASS evaluate enhanced disaster response observations and assessments not possible from medium resolution optical systems.

Research and development efforts are underway to explore using Planet’s Basemaps to provide NASS with a spatial and temporal boost that may support independent, high resolution state- and county-level crop area yield assessments. Planet’s enhanced satellite data can help determine if higher resolution classifications improve statistical accuracy and quality over the contemporary medium resolution products.

“USDA’s NASS’ reporting is vital to U.S. food production, and we are thrilled they are incorporating Planet’s satellite data to contribute to their agriculture intelligence used by partner agencies and the public,” said Vince Hurley of Planet Federal. “It’s encouraging to see this group integrate commercial datasets and products into their workflows, and we’re eager to see how accurate and timely Planet data contributes to their 2021 growing season assessment.”

Accurate data is valued by farmers and agribusinesses throughout the United States, because it supports informed decisions about crop management, marketing, and logistical operations,. Further, data driven decision-making can help ensure a sustainable food supply, manage risk, and increase profitability.

“Planet’s Basemaps provide a frequent and high-resolution solution for agricultural monitoring as farming becomes an increasingly data and technology driven process,” said Rick Mueller, section head, USDA NASS Spatial Analysis Research Section. “With Planet’s robust dataset integrated into our workflow, NASS can better understand and quantify trends in upcoming growing seasons, identify regions prone to drought stress and natural disasters, and provide high resolution assessments of crop production.”

About Planet

Planet is the leading provider of global, daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Planet is driven by a mission to image the world every day, and make change visible, accessible and actionable. Founded in 2010 by three NASA scientists, Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites, capturing and compiling data from over 3 million images per day. Planet provides mission-critical data, advanced insights, and software solutions to over 600 customers, comprised of the world’s leading agriculture, forestry, intelligence, education and finance companies and government agencies, enabling users to simply and effectively derive unique value from satellite imagery. Planet recently entered into a definitive merger agreement with dMY Technology Group, Inc. IV (NYSE:DMYQ), a special purpose acquisition company, to become a publicly-traded company. To learn more visit www.planet.com and follow us on Twitter at @planet.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210823005327/en/

FAQ

What is the significance of Planet's partnership with USDA NASS?

The partnership enables USDA NASS to enhance agricultural data collection and analysis through Planet Basemaps, improving insights for crop management.

How will Planet's data impact the 2021 growing season assessments?

Planet's data integration is expected to provide timely and detailed assessments, aiding in better understanding of crop conditions during the growing season.

What does dMY Technology Group's merger mean for Planet?

The merger allows Planet to become a publicly traded company, increasing its capital access and market presence.

What are Planet's capabilities in satellite imagery?

Planet operates the largest fleet of imaging satellites, providing daily satellite imagery and geospatial solutions to various sectors, including agriculture.

How does Planet's data benefit farmers and agribusinesses?

Planet's data supports informed decision-making in crop management, marketing, and logistics, ultimately aiding in sustainable food supply and profitability.