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Volume 17
Issue 11
10.3390/rs17111855
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach

by
Martina Lagasio
1,
Stefano Barindelli
2,
Zenaida Chitu
3,
Sergio Contreras
4,
Amelia Fernández-Rodríguez
4,
Martijn de Klerk
4,
Alessandro Fumagalli
2,
Andrea Gatti
2,
Lukas Hammerschmidt
5,
Damir Haskovic
6,
Massimo Milelli
1,
Elena Oberto
1,
Irina Ontel
3,
Julien Orensanz
7,
Fabiola Ramelli
5,
Francesco Uboldi
1,
Aso Validi
6 and
Eugenio Realini
2,*
1
CIMA Research Foundation, 17100 Savona, Italy
2
Geomatics Research & Development srl, 22074 Lomazzo, Italy
3
National Meteorological Administration, 013686 București, Romania
4
FutureWater, 30205 Cartagena, Spain
5
Meteomatics AG, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland
6
MINDS & SPARKS GmbH, 1060 Vienna, Austria
7
CAP2020, 33170 Gradignan, France
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(11), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855
Submission received: 14 April 2025 / Revised: 20 May 2025 / Accepted: 23 May 2025 / Published: 26 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing to Flood and Drought Analysis, Monitoring and Risk Management)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Weather forecasting is essential for agriculture, yet current methods often lack the localized accuracy required to manage extreme weather events and optimize irrigation. The MAGDA Horizon Europe/EUSPA project addresses this gap by developing a modular system that integrates novel European space-based, airborne, and ground-based technologies. Unlike conventional forecasting systems, MAGDA enables precise, field-level predictions through the integration of cutting-edge technologies: Meteodrones provide vertical atmospheric profiles where traditional data are sparse; GNSS-reflectometry offers real-time soil moisture insights; and all observations feed into convection-permitting models for accurate nowcasting of extreme events. By combining satellite data, GNSS, Meteodrones, and high-resolution meteorological models, MAGDA enhances agricultural and water management with precise, tailored forecasts. Climate change is intensifying extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, hail, and droughts, threatening both crop yields and water resources. Improving forecast reliability requires better observational data to refine initial atmospheric conditions. Recent advancements in assimilating reflectivity and in situ observations into high-resolution NWMs show promise, particularly for convective weather. Experiments using Sentinel and GNSS-derived data have further improved severe weather prediction. MAGDA employs a high-resolution cloud-resolving model and integrates GNSS, radar, weather stations, and Meteodrones to provide comprehensive atmospheric insights. These enhanced forecasts support both irrigation management and extreme weather warnings, delivered through a Farm Management System to assist farmers. As climate change increases the frequency of floods and droughts, MAGDA’s integration of high-resolution, multi-source observational technologies, including GNSS-reflectometry and drone-based atmospheric profiling, is crucial for ensuring sustainable agriculture and efficient water resource management.
Keywords: climate-resilient agriculture; data assimilation; precision irrigation climate-resilient agriculture; data assimilation; precision irrigation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lagasio, M.; Barindelli, S.; Chitu, Z.; Contreras, S.; Fernández-Rodríguez, A.; de Klerk, M.; Fumagalli, A.; Gatti, A.; Hammerschmidt, L.; Haskovic, D.; et al. Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach. Remote Sens. 2025, 17, 1855. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855

AMA Style

Lagasio M, Barindelli S, Chitu Z, Contreras S, Fernández-Rodríguez A, de Klerk M, Fumagalli A, Gatti A, Hammerschmidt L, Haskovic D, et al. Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach. Remote Sensing. 2025; 17(11):1855. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lagasio, Martina, Stefano Barindelli, Zenaida Chitu, Sergio Contreras, Amelia Fernández-Rodríguez, Martijn de Klerk, Alessandro Fumagalli, Andrea Gatti, Lukas Hammerschmidt, Damir Haskovic, and et al. 2025. "Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach" Remote Sensing 17, no. 11: 1855. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855

APA Style

Lagasio, M., Barindelli, S., Chitu, Z., Contreras, S., Fernández-Rodríguez, A., de Klerk, M., Fumagalli, A., Gatti, A., Hammerschmidt, L., Haskovic, D., Milelli, M., Oberto, E., Ontel, I., Orensanz, J., Ramelli, F., Uboldi, F., Validi, A., & Realini, E. (2025). Integrating Advanced Sensor Technologies for Enhanced Agricultural Weather Forecasts and Irrigation Advisories: The MAGDA Project Approach. Remote Sensing, 17(11), 1855. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17111855

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