Key points:
- NDVI & NDRE are both methods of determining crop health, constructed from a combination of two distinct frequencies of light
- NDVI is a great general indicator of crop health, however it isn’t perfect for all crops or for all growth stages as it can saturate at the values of 0.8 and 0.95
- NDRE is able to detect variations in the health of cereal crops in their later stages, high biomass crops and permanent tree crops
Biomass imagery
Biomass imagery can help you look for anomalies that may otherwise be impossible to spot with the naked eye, and can help you:
- Track crop growth in-season and compare crop growth between seasons
- Track pasture growth and utilisation
- Yield forecasting
- Identify resistant weeds
- Make targeted fertiliser applications
- Create variable rate maps
- Irrigation scheduling
- Assess trials
- Formulate top dressing strategies
- Understand crop dynamics and tracking hail, storm, drift or frost events
- Pick trends and successful strategies
- Track previous crop performance when purchasing properties
What is NDVI?
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a method of determining crop health by measuring the index of plant “greenness” or photosynthetic activity and is one of the most commonly used vegetation indices. NDVI is a great general indicator of crop health, which help establish measurements during earlier growth stages.
But NDVI isn’t perfect for all crops or growth stages
What is NDRE?
Although NDVI is a great general indicator of crop health, it isn’t perfect for all crops or for all growth stages as it can saturate at the values of 0.8 and 0.95.
NDRE can provide a more accurate solution as it is able to detect variations in the health of cereal crops in their later stages, high biomass crops (including sugar cane), and permanent tree crops. The Red Edge sensors are able to detect changes in chlorophyll content within the leaf and through the plant canopy, making it more effective in later crop stages where NDVI tends to become saturated.
Which one should I use?
- NDVI is a great place to start however if you experience issues with saturation or absorption, NDRE may provide a better solution
- If you’re dealing with thick permanent crops and other dense crops, or later growth stages of particular crops, use NDRE
- If your crops transition from seed to thick canopies in a single season, you should make use of both NDVI and NDRE
- For more intensive management applications throughout the growing season, use NDRE
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