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Remote Sensing

Introduction

Welcome to the documentationcomprehensive forguide on INVISION Remote Sensing. INVISION offersleverages advanced remote sensing capabilities through a partnership with Planet Labs. WhenThis subscribingdocument todetails satellite imagery through INVISION, users gain access to variousthe remote sensing variables crucialaccessible forvia monitoringINVISION, and managing agricultural fields. This documentation provides detailed explanations of each variable,emphasizing their significance in agriculture, specifically for trials, demonstrations, and commercial applications.

PlanetScope

PlanetScope imagery provides high-resolution, frequent monitoring capabilities that are essential for precision agriculture. Below are the differentkey typesvariables:

Imagery TypeDescriptionBands UsedSpatial ResolutionTemporal ResolutionKey Applications
NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)Quantifies vegetation health using red and NIR bandsRed, NIR3 metersDailyVegetation health, crop monitoring, yield prediction
SAVI (Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index)Adjusted vegetation index minimizing soil brightness impactRed, NIR (+ correction factor)3 metersDailyAccurate vegetation monitoring in sparse areas, arid region analysis
EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index)Enhanced vegetation index reducing atmospheric and soil influencesRed, NIR, Blue3 metersDailyHigh biomass sensitivity, reliable under varying atmospheric conditions, detailed vegetation analysis
RGB (Red, Green, Blue)Captures visible light, similar to human visionRed, Green, Blue3 metersDailyVisual assessment, communication of imageryfield available.conditions, baseline monitoring

Planetary Variables

Planetary Variables offer specialized insights critical for detailed agricultural analysis and decision-making:

Imagery TypeDescriptionBands UsedSpatial ResolutionTemporal ResolutionKey Applications
NDRE (Normalized Difference Red Edge)Measures chlorophyll content using red edge and NIR bandsRed Edge, NIR3 metersDailyChlorophyll monitoring, early stress detection, precision agriculture
BiomassEstimates total mass of living plantsMulti-spectral (varies)3 metersDailyProductivity assessment, nutrient management, sustainable practices

 

1. NDRE (Normalized Difference Red Edge)

Description: The Normalized Difference Red Edge (NDRE) index is a spectral index sensitive to changes in the chlorophyll content of leaves. It uses the red edge and near-infrared bands of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • Chlorophyll Monitoring: NDRE is particularly effective for monitoring chlorophyll content, which correlates with plant health and nitrogen levels.
  • Early Detection: It helps in early detection of stress in crops, allowing for timely intervention.
  • Precision Agriculture: Assists in making informed decisions about fertilization and other agricultural inputs.

2. NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)

Description: The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a widely used index for quantifying vegetation health. It utilizes the red and near-infrared bands.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • Vegetation Health: NDVI provides a clear indication of vegetation vigor and density.
  • Crop Monitoring: Helps in assessing crop growth stages and biomass production.
  • Yield Prediction: Useful for predicting crop yields based on vegetative growth patterns.

3. SAVI (Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index)

Description: The Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) is similar to NDVI but includes a correction factor to minimize the influence of soil brightness in areas with sparse vegetation.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • Soil Influence Reduction: Reduces soil brightness impact, providing more accurate vegetation monitoring in sparse vegetation areas.
  • Improved Accuracy: Enhances the accuracy of vegetation indices in arid and semi-arid regions.

4. EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index)

Description: The Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) improves upon NDVI by reducing atmospheric influences and soil background signals, enhancing sensitivity to high biomass regions.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • High Biomass Sensitivity: Better captures variations in dense vegetation areas.
  • Atmospheric Correction: Provides more reliable data under varying atmospheric conditions.
  • Detailed Analysis: Useful for detailed vegetation studies and monitoring.

5. RGB (Red, Green, Blue)

Description: RGB imagery captures visible light in the red, green, and blue bands, providing images that resemble what the human eye sees.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • Visual Assessment: Allows for visual inspection of crop conditions and field status.
  • Communication: Facilitates easy communication of field conditions to stakeholders.
  • Baseline Monitoring: Serves as a baseline for comparing other remote sensing data.

6. Biomass

Description: Biomass estimation from satellite imagery measures the total mass of living plants in a given area, providing insights into crop productivity and health.

Importance in Agriculture:

  • Productivity Assessment: Indicates overall crop productivity and potential yield.
  • Nutrient Management: Helps in managing nutrient applications based on biomass data.
  • Sustainable Practices: Supports sustainable agriculture practices by monitoring crop growth and health.

Key Differences and Importance

  1. Bands Used: Different indices and imagery types use varying combinations of spectral bands, which influence their sensitivity to specific plant characteristics and environmental conditions.
  2. Spatial Resolution: All types provided by PlanetScope offer high spatial resolution of 3 meters, enabling detailed field analysis.
  3. Temporal Resolution: The daily revisit rate ensures that changes and trends can be detected promptly, which is critical for time-sensitive applications like agriculture.
  4. Applications: Each imagery type has unique applications in agriculture, from monitoring chlorophyll content (NDRE) to providing visual assessments (RGB) and estimating biomass (Biomass).
Imagery Type Description Bands Used Spatial Resolution Temporal Resolution Key Applications

ND

RE

Measures chlorophyll content using red edge and NIR bands Red Edge, NIR 3 meters Daily Chlorophyll monitoring, early stress detection, precision agriculture
NDVI Quantifies vegetation health using red and NIR bands Red, NIR 3 meters Daily Vegetation health, crop monitoring, yield prediction
SAVI Adjusted vegetation index minimizing soil brightness impact Red, NIR (+ correction factor) 3 meters Daily Accurate vegetation monitoring in sparse areas, arid region analysis
EVI Enhanced vegetation index reducing atmospheric and soil influences Red, NIR, Blue 3 meters Daily High biomass sensitivity, reliable under varying atmospheric conditions, detailed vegetation analysis
RGB Captures visible light, similar to human vision Red, Green, Blue 3 meters Daily Visual assessment, communication of field conditions, baseline monitoring
Biomass Estimates total mass of living plants Multi-spectral (varies) 3 meters Daily Productivity assessment, nutrient management, sustainable practices

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