Failure note
Satellite signal failure modes and field checks
A field-check heuristic for separating a satellite pattern from a diagnosed crop condition.
Section 1
Use this as a field-check heuristic
A lower-vigor or moisture pattern can follow a valve boundary, a pruned row, exposed soil, a shaded corner, or a crop problem. The map sets the next check; the field record supplies the explanation. This note does not estimate a false-positive rate or claim measured diagnostic accuracy.
Section 2
Common alternatives to inspect
A sharp line can be an irrigation mainline, valve zone, headland, ditch, or block boundary. A low-vigor patch can reflect pruning, replanting, missing or young trees, or a canopy gap. A between-row difference can be cover crop, bare soil, mulch, or mowing. Small dark corners can be local shadow, and a single-date change can be cloud, haze, or cloud shadow.
Section 3
Review before assigning priority
Confirm the geometry is the intended block, check cloud, shadow, haze, and usable coverage, then compare the pattern with recent observations and adjacent zones. Straight edges and repeated row shapes deserve an irrigation, access, planting, or management-boundary check. One scene does not establish persistence.
Section 4
Walk and record the finding
Walk the highest-priority zone and inspect irrigation delivery, soil moisture, canopy continuity, ground cover, slope, visible pest or disease symptoms, and recent machinery or traffic. Record the satellite pattern, the field observation, and any follow-up as separate fields so a hypothesis does not become a conclusion by wording alone.
Section 5
Diagnosis stays outside the satellite result
Farmbit's current source supports signal descriptions and a field-check prompt. A satellite result alone does not establish disease, pest pressure, irrigation failure, nutrient deficiency, or a treatment need. The shifted public demo exposes only a two-checkpoint comparison and cannot prove failure rates, customer outcomes, or commercial-orchard performance.