Remote sensing technology can cost-effectively access a wide range of real-time land surface spatial information, and provides an effective way for resource surveys, environmental monitoring and disaster prediction. With the help of remote sensing technology, geo-information can be acquired quickly, accurately, efficiently and comprehensively. Undoubtedly, remote sensing will play an increasingly important role in the fields of geosciences, agricultural sciences, and so on. In particular civil resources satellite was launched in the 1970s, which was applied in agriculture and benefited first. Moreover, significant developments were registered in some key fields along with the advancement of high resolution remote sensing. The combination of their high temporal frequency with extended geographical coverage makes them particularly useful for time series crop growth monitoring, crop types subdivision, and acquisition of field precision agriculture. The fact is of note that the new challenges followed as a result of the dispersion and spatial-temporal variability in agricultural production. An overview of the history and theoretical background of agricultural remote sensing technology was introduced. And then four aspects of yield estimation, agricultural resources survey, agricultural disaster monitoring and precision agriculture management were presented. Remotely sensed data from existing platforms and the ground observation network technology which can provide an important data source for supporting agriculture were expected. On the other hand, new generation remote sensing platform of low altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) should be promoted. Although progress has been made, current methods and techniques still bear potential to further explore multi-sensors, spectral data, surface characteristic parameters and existing crop model. The combination of multi-sensor data and assimilation will enhance the perspectives of using remotely sensed data for agriculture.