The drone industry is revolutionizing sod management, helping growers make smarter decisions using multispectral imagery. The latest drone platforms are capable of carrying multispectral sensors, which can capture images that reveal key information about plant health, based on reflectivity within the light spectrum not visible to the human eye. By better understanding of what is happening within the plants and soil, farmers and park managers can adjust pesticide, fertilizer, and irrigation practices to save money while growing healthier, greener grass.
See the Full Spectrum
Standard camera sensors only collect red, green and blue wavelengths of light. Multispectral cameras, on the other hand, can isolate wavelengths that fall outside the visible spectrum—that is, parts of the spectrum we generally can’t see.
When viewing aerial multispectral images of a sod farm or other grass-covered landscape, the reflectance value of the turf reveals valuable insights about the amount of chlorophyll in the grass, signs of plant stress, and variations in soil moisture, among other indicators of plant health. For this reason, capturing multispectral images from a bird’s eye view can benefit not only sod growers, but also those charged with maintaining the grass on golf courses, ball fields, city parks, and residential developments.
Growers and turf managers can save time and money during the growing season and year-over-year by identifying potential problems early. For example, using multispectral images from a drone, they can pinpoint specific locations where additional pesticides or fertilizer may be needed, rather than doing a blanket application across the entire field. These adjustments are not only financially efficient, but they can have a profound environmental impact, as well. Similarly, aerial multispectral photos can reveal areas that may need more or less irrigation, helping growers implement more efficient and effective watering practices.
Keep Golf Greens Greener
Drones are changing the way that sod farmers and park managers collect and use data to solve problems and improve efficiencies. Global Video uses state-of-the-art drones and multispectral cameras that empowers you to gather actionable data and make smart decisions. Whether you need a quick snapshot of a field or farm, or a series of photos to monitor plant health over months or years, our expert pilots and data analysts can help. To learn more about our capabilities, visit our page on drone multispectral imagery, or give us a call at 972.318.2811.