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Main Projects
In more than 30 years of activity, Consorzio ITA has acquired vast experience
in several fields. During the last 10 years ITA has been involved in the
following related projects:
(1)
GMFS 2
In Joint Venture with VITO :validation of products
carried out during the 3 years project by means of SAR image and optical low
resolution data in Malawi and Zimbabwe. During the development of the project
the following activities have been performed under the responsibility of ITA:
 | Sampling Frame for the validation products; |
| Preparation of the ground survey documents and training for the GPS
utilization on the ground as well for the use of Digital Camera; |
| Training for caring out the field works in Malawi and Zimbabwe; |
| Validation of SAR products with the contribution of the field work data
with the aim to estimate the acreage of the arable land; |
| Meteorological data acquisition and collection of crop yields and related
historical series for corn yield estimation and prediction, Data Base
organization and construction; |
| Corn yield estimation by means of agro meteorological model and vegetation
indexes derived by low satellite resolution data; |
| Evaluation of the performance of the model without or with the
contribution of satellite images. |
(2)
AMESD-In JOINT VENTURE with other European partners (Thales-IRD-BRL)
For the development of this important project for
the African Countries. During 18 months of activities, ITA has had the
responsibility for the following Regional Implementation Centers :
| AGRHYMET (Niger):crop and rangeland water resources;
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| BOZTWANA :food security and environment.
The duration of the project has been foreseen for 4 years and at the end of
it a very important networking related of satellite images, products and
data will be available for the environmental management of the sub-saharian
regions and countries. |
(3) HAITI
Project in progress carried out jointly with a Belgian company and financed by
the FED of the European Union, during the project the following THEMA will be
developed using remote sensing satellite images at different geometric
resolutions.
| Food security and agricultural information; |
| Global Monitoring; |
| Watershed management; |
| landscape management; |
| Natural parks management, |
| Infrastructures and geodesy development trough GIS technology
During the project satellite images ,low and high resolution satellite
images have been used for the preparation of different products: land use
and forestry maps, mapping of drainage and river network ,preparation of the
sampling frame for agricultural statistics and crop production, soil erosion
evaluation and remediation. |
(4) AGRIT
Agriculture statistics forecasts - Objective of this project was to estimate the
area and production of major Italian crops based on POINT FRAME sampling,
applied over the entire Italian territory. From 1988 until 2000, the crop area
estimation was based on an aerial sampling system of about 5500 segments (50
ha). The point frame was introduced in 2001 and it still represents the most
updated Italian agriculture statistical system. The project involved the
following activities:
| Determination of approximately 80.000 observation points over 20 Italian
regions, based on the results of application of a specific algorithm;
- Preparation of base maps for ground surveys to determine land use in the
observation units. A total of 80.000 imagettes were prepared, about 3.000
orthophotos were printed at scale 1:10.000; |
| Field surveys in approx. 80.000 observation points in three different
periods of the growing season; |
| Quality controls in approx. 5% of the points stated above; |
| Quality controls assisted by MiPAF personnel in approx. 2% of the points
stated above;
-Acquisition and processing of 2 satellite image coverages of Italian
territory referring to May and July-August; |
| Simulation of major crop yields using SAM (Spectral Agro-meteorological
Model); |
| Image processing after having performed geometric corrections using DTM
with pixel size of 250x250 m; |
| Estimate of crop areas and production using specific estimators; |
| Issue of 4 bulletins containing statistics on examined crops. |
| Agri-enviromental Statistics.Click here to learn more....
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(5) LUCAS
Construction of a point frame (area frame means that the observation units are
territorial subdivisions instead of agricultural holdings) to collect land
use/cover information, particularly regarding the agricultural component. In
Italy Consorzio ITA developed the following activities:
| Review of LUCAS sampling plan to increase compatibility with the AGRIT
sampling plan; |
| Preparation of survey material according to EUROSTAT specifications;
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| Selection and training of surveyors; |
| Implementation of a survey on approx. 980 PSU (Primary Sampling Units)
from May to June over the entire national territory; |
| Interviews to farmers identified in the PSU, for acquisition of
agro-environmental data and information on agricultural practices; |
| Quality control on 5% of the PSU; |
| Exhaustive control of GPS data acquired during the survey; |
| Data input and quality control; |
| Preparation of reports and products provided to EUROSTAT;
Click here to learn more.... |
(6) POPOLUS
The project’s main objective is the estimation of land use/cover areas and area
changes at provincial level using a point-frame approach. Points to be observed
were sampled systematically by superimposing a regular grid (500 m cellsize)
over the whole Italian territory (1.200.000 points). Each point sampled is
classified according to a 26 items nomenclature by photointerpretation of
digital orthophfotos. The frame of observed points is also an effective tool to
project and optimize field surveys based on the point-frame approach.
(7) REGIONAL AGRICULTURE STATISTICS INVENTORY
Regional agriculture
statistics inventory for the Piemonte region (Italy) using satellite data
and ground observation on 1100 segments.
Click here to learn more....
(8) SOUTH AFRICA AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SYSTEM
Pilot project for the
estimation of maize and sunflower crop areas, using point sampling.
(9) MINISITES Project:
Estimation of land use change by scattered mini sites
over the Italian and Benelux territory using satellite images and ground
observations on segments measuring 49 ha (Mars project – Action 4). | 
Consorzio Italiano per il Telerilevamento dell'Ambiente e
dell'Agricoltura
