AERIAL CROP HEALTH ANALYSIS
Determine variations in crop health, improve field scouting, find problem areas, and track changes.
True Color Imagery
Sample Crop Area:
Basemap:
Sample Crop Area
Aerial map view (orthomosaic), displaying field area before analysis.
Acquired from Pix4d, processed by G & C Imaging Solutions
Crop Health Mapping.
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
Crop Scouting
Monitor Changes
-Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is an index to show the variation in plant health throughout a field.
-Unhealthy, stressed, or sparse crops will appear red on the map while healthy or dense plants will appear green.
-Can be used to determine potential problem areas in your crop.
-This map eliminates countless hours of crop scouting and is able to find problem areas that may not be visible from the ground.
-Management Zones are created to show areas that require a field visit for further inspection.
-A data file can be created and uploaded directly to your tractor for variable rate farming, where costs can be reduced by using fewer chemical inputs in areas that don't need them.
-An NDVI map can point you to areas that exhibit a problem that needs to be dealt with.
-Low vegetation health areas (appearing red) could indicate:
-Pest or disease breakout.
-Nitrogen deficiencies in the soil or other
issues with soil content in the region.
-Equipment malfunctions such as uneven
fertilizer or pesticide application,
uneven seeding, and gaps in plant rows.
-Problem areas may require additional
fertilizer or pesticide application,
replanting, or ignored in the case of
irreparable crops areas.
-Very high vegetation health areas (appearing green) could indicate:
-Weed populations that are affecting crop
growth.
-Early/Late season analysis by using different indices such as SAVI and NDRE to more accurately determine crop health at different stages of growth.
-Management zones and problem areas can be tested with soil samples and plant tissue analysis, to understand the issue and resolve it before harvest.
-Examine the effectiveness of a recently applied pest or disease treatment.
-Monitor change after adjusting fertilizer application to a region.
-Use a second NDVI map later in the season to assess crop growth and determine growth rates as well as the effectiveness of any adjustments made for previous issues.
-Assess damage after a natural event such as hail, fire, or flooding to determine extent of affected crop for insurance and reparation purposes.
"Find problems early in the season and deal with them before they affect total yield at the end of the season."