Jalpaiguri, Dec. 5: A team of Indian Space Research Organisation scientists has arrived in north Bengal to conduct ground-based surveys of tea gardens before using remote sensing satellites to map the estates. The survey is part of a project expected to help tea growers in north Bengal improve the management of their plantations and their yields. The Isro programme jointly with the Tea Board is intended to determine actual area covered by tea in the gardens, find out if land is available for new crops, and develop plans for improved water management. Satellite imagery may also be used to monitor the uprooting of tea bushes for soil rehabilitation before fresh planting. The Isro-Tea Board programme is initially expected to cover Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur in Bengal, and more than 20 districts in Assam. A research component of the programme will aim at predicting the green leaf yield of plantations and issuing advance warnings about pest attacks and diseases.