Objectives of the service
MaizEO, initiated by Wasat Sp. z o.o., targets the enhancement of maize farming across Central and Eastern Europe by leveraging Earth Observation technology. This initiative directly addresses the critical challenges maize farmers face due to climate change and the rising demand for maize in agri-food sectors. MaizEO proposes a holistic approach to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and profitability of maize cultivation. The project is focused on fine-tuning of resource utilization, enhancing crop health surveillance, and delivering actionable insights to enable farmers to make precise, informed decisions. Through the integration of EO technology into daily farming operations, MaizEO aims to provide a solution that not only meets the immediate needs of maize producers but also contributes to the long-term viability and resilience of maize agriculture in the region.
Users and their needs
MaizEO is designed to cater to the diverse requirements of maize farmers, ranging from small, family-operated farms to large agricultural enterprises in Central European countries. These needs include the following:
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Precise determination of the optimal sowing and harvesting period.
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Precision seeding, fertilization and protection recommendations to optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact.
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Yield prediction and dry matter content analysis for better harvest planning.
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Advanced monitoring of crop health and prevailing conditions to ensure timely interventions.
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User-friendly access to near real-time data and historical analysis for trend identification and strategic planning.
Service/ system concept
The MaizEO service integrates satellite data, including high-resolution multispectral imagery from Sentinel-2 and SAR data from Sentinel-1, with local weather forecasts. This robust combination allows for detailed monitoring of crop health and environmental conditions. The core of MaizEO’s innovation is its ability to provide tailored advice from sowing to harvesting, all accessible through an intuitive web platform and mobile application. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, MaizEO delivers personalized recommendations adapted to the unique characteristics of each farm.
Space Added Value
EO data from the Copernicus Program plays a pivotal role in MaizEO’s service architecture. Sentinel-2 multispectral imagery is crucial for assessing vegetation health and identifying areas that require attention. Sentinel-1 SAR complements these functions by offering data irrespective of cloud cover. Together, these space assets enable a level of precision and accuracy in agricultural monitoring previously unattainable, demonstrating the indispensable value of satellite technology in modern farming.
Current Status
The MaizEO project, launched in December 2023, has been successfully completed and has achieved its technical, operational and business objectives.
Extensive consultations with farmers across four countries were carried out at the beginning of the activity and throughout the development phase. These interactions enabled a precise identification of user needs and operational challenges in maize cultivation. The resulting requirements were systematically translated into the service concept, system architecture and functional modules of MaizEO.
The MaizEO service has been fully developed and deployed in a cloud-based environment as an operational prototype. All core subsystems – including EO data ingestion and processing, meteorological data integration, crop modelling components and user-facing web application – have been implemented and integrated into a coherent service architecture.
Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and On-Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) were successfully completed, confirming compliance with the agreed system and service requirements. The pilot phase was conducted across multiple operational sites, enabling validation of system performance and usability under real farming conditions. Key performance indicators related to functionality, timeliness, data quality and user acceptance were achieved within the validated scope.
In parallel, the Business Plan was updated to reflect validated market assumptions, pricing strategy and go-to-market approach. Initial commercial agreements and paid service deliveries were concluded during the project implementation, confirming early market traction and customer interest.
Following the successful completion of the pilot operations and the Final Review, MaizEO has reached readiness for commercialisation. The project delivered a fully operational, EO-based decision support service supporting the complete maize production cycle and established the technical and business foundations for its sustained market deployment.
