stages, water stress or fluctuation in nutrient levels, just to name a few.
For example, if a plant experiences stress that limits photosynthetic activity, a multispectral camera is able to sense it; whereas with an RGB camera, it would be too subtle to notice. With the information provided with the multispectral camera, the grower is more likely to pinpoint the problem area and identify the issue.
A thermal camera identifies variability in temperature and measures reflectance in the infrared. When plants react to stressors like drought, they tend to change in temperature. Standing water in the field from excess rain or irrigation leaks
The main limitation of a consumer drone is the camera.
will also lead to temperature variability. Both of these issues can be captured with a thermal camera, offering a grower valuable information.
Retool your drone
While many have closeted their drones after the initial enthusiasm wore off, others have sought out ways to exploit the vehicle to carry other cameras and sensors that can deliver more diverse datasets than RGB images. Simultaneously, sensor manufacturers, drone resellers and small UAV hobbyists identified the opportunity in the market: consumer drone users in the ag industry looking for ways to retool their drones.
The result has been the development of integration kits that provide solutions allowing a grower to customize a drone, enabling it to carry a new sensor that can
deliver data that gets closer to the drone value promised over the last few years.
If you have purchased a drone and are feeling mildly disappointed by the data it has provided so far, perhaps it’s time to consider new imaging capabilities. Multispectral or thermal sensor manufacturers or local drone resellers can provide information about how their customers are integrating different sensor data into their operations. The insight these sensors provide may be worth retooling your drone. After a short time, you may find your own real-life examples of a drone assisting in your farm management.
Drew Baustian is on the sales and business development team at MicaSense. He’s primarily involved in developing new and existing markets around the world for selling multispectral sensors and other products.
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