Crop Monitoring
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Drone Photography for Crop Loss Claims
When one of us experiences crop loss, it can feel overwhelming. Months of planning, planting, and caring for a field can be ruined by one storm, one pest outbreak, or one unexpected event. Floods! Don’t get me started. That’s why crop insurance is so important. It helps protect farmers when things go wrong. But to
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Can agricultural drones play a part in regenerative agriculture?
I recently posted something about drones to a regenerative agriculture social media group and was scolded with “You’re obviously don’t belong here” kind of comment. It gave me pause. Am I mistaken? I know that regenerative agriculture is about the return to natural systems, but it still seems like drones can play a part. It
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The Many Ways Agricultural Drones Improve Crops
Farming has come a long way from the days when farmers had to walk every inch of their fields to check on crops. Scouting is still important, but today it is augmented by technology, which seems to be sneaking into everything. One of the biggest game-changers is the use of drones in precision agriculture. These
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Prescription Maps: Spoon Feeding your Crop
A prescription map (also called a variable‑rate map) controls where and how much a sprayer delivers product onto a crop. Think of it like a recipe for each part of a field: some areas need more, some need less, and some don’t need anything at all. You will still cover the entire field but will
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NDVI: The Farmer’s Early-Warning System
Farmers in the Midwest are increasingly using drone scouting and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) technology to monitor crop health efficiently. This method allows for early detection of plant stress, particularly diseases like southern rust, enabling targeted interventions and improved yields. NDVI enhances traditional farming practices by providing detailed aerial insights.
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Digital Photography, Multispectral Scouting, and Seeing Beyond the Human Eye
Digital photos consist of pixels that create detailed images. Red, green, and blue color channels are combined to create Full-color images. Multispectral drones enhance aerial scouting by capturing additional channels, near-infrared and red-edge light, areas we cannot see, revealing plant health issues undetectable by the naked eye. This technology aids farmers in early stress detection,…
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Drone-Applied Micronutrients for Central Midwest Corn and Soybeans
Midwest growers are increasingly using agricultural drones for precise micronutrient application to enhance crop performance under challenging conditions. Drones effectively target key nutrients at critical growth stages, preventing deficiencies, boosting early growth, and safeguarding yields. This technology minimizes compaction and product waste, significantly improving efficiency and return on investment in agriculture.
