NDVI Geotiffs, Plant Analysis, & Stand Counts

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Some of the drones we use have special sensor(s) that capture wavelengths of light from the visible and invisible light spectrum. By selecting only certain portions of the light bands, a combination of In-flight and post-flight software, we are able to create a high-resolution Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) GeoTiff, JPEG, PDF, and many other file types. This will be represented in a color shaded map of the field using the colors: green, yellow, orange, and red; the more consistent and greener the better. Once we have the data in one of the preselected file types, what can we do with it? The most preliminary method is analyzing the map for anomalies, or more commonly referred to as “hot spots.” These areas will show up red, orange, or yellow and may indicate a problem such as, but not limited to, pest pressure, faulty chemical or fertilizer application, environmental damage, and/or may reflect a soil type related issue. Depending on the severity of the results and comparing them to the color (RGB) map, the second step is to scout the field and check the hot spots for what is causing them. Lastly, once the source of the problems is determined, the NDVI Map can be converted into a zone map that can be used in variable rate application. Another service we provide is stand counts. This type of analysis is done by taking high-resolution color images and imputing them into our software to create a total plant count of the field this information is then used to determine an emergence percentage. Prior knowledge of planted seed count is needed for this data This data can be converted to a zone map to be compared to other factors such as soil type, irrigation, chemical and fertilizer application, and more. This service does have a higher charge due to the extreme resolution, post-processing, and time required to fly the selected acreage​

 

• Question: What’s the main advantage with NDVI?

• Answer: Based on the fact that the sensors can capture light reflectance that the human eye is unable to see, the results will show in NDVI before anybody could just by walking by and may identify issues that would otherwise be missed. Another reason is the fact that every square inch of the field is surveyed so an agronomist will not miss anything. Lastly it is much faster than means of traditional scouting, by providing a field scout with this information, they do not have to waste time wandering the field for issues, they have a road map that we have created.