Just in time for the 2017 growing season in the northern hemisphere, Sentera says it can now make the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone a precision scouting tool for farmers.
By integrating the Sentera NDVI Single Sensor onto the Phantom 4 Pro platform, agronomists and growers can collect Sentera’s trademarked TrueNDVI crop health data, the company says.
In a single flight, visual-band RGB, near-infrared and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data can be captured simultaneously and then read immediately for instant insight and action.
Sentera says its TrueNDVI solution captures and then seamlessly flows data into the company’s AgVault software, where additional analytics can be performed and data can be catalogued and stored.
“In the next month, some growers will see their first crops popping up,” says Kris Poulson, vice president of agriculture at Sentera. “Now is the optimal time to start using TrueNDVI data to make input decisions: while the plants are young and vigor can be influenced.”
Sentera notes that its TrueNDVI upgrade leaves the factory-supplied DJI Phantom 4 Pro gimbaled camera untouched (thus preserving its full functionality).
Existing Phantom 4 Pro drones can be sent directly to Sentera or a Sentera-authorized reseller for modification. Growers who want to obtain a new Phantom 4 Pro drone with NDVI capabilities can purchase an integrated system directly through Sentera or its resellers.
“The 2016 growing season really proved the value of TrueNDVI for our customers with DJI Phantom and Inspire products,” Poulson continues. “For the first time, many growers could analyze data they never thought possible to even capture, and the progression continues into 2017 with the Phantom 4 Pro TrueNDVI upgrade. The ability to visually assess crop health with TrueNDVI – and to do it reliably and efficiently – completely changes the game for the grower, the agronomist and anyone managing large-scale operations.”
