Drones in agriculture: which cameras to choose?

The drone in agriculture is certainly one of the most revolutionary innovations of recent years.

Thanks to sensing equipment, the GPS systems integrated into them and the various ground sensors, assessing the condition of a field becomes easier and technically more precise.

This makes it easier to adopt better farming techniques, a possibility that translates into decisive help for agricultural professionals who want to use these unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor the health of crops and livestock.

Drone photogrammetry: how can it help agricultural work?

Today there are thousands of agricultural drone operators in Italy who make use of drone photogrammetry.

The latter relies on software, sensors and hardware that greatly simplify all the services useful in agriculture, delivering terrain photogrammetry that also allows a better assessment of field irrigation.

The agricultural drone offers revolutionary solutions that were unthinkable until recently.

Among the many models, it is impossible not to mention the one tested by thousands of farmers on areas of over ten thousand hectares: we are referring to the Matrice drone with its accessories that has revolutionized agricultural work.

Tested even on very large crops, with its speed and light weight it has proved particularly effective in fighting pests.

In particular, this device has proved extraordinary in the following fields of application:

• Flight planning: simply select the desired altitudes and ground resolutions and the agricultural drone automatically creates a flight plan that lets it carry out the planned work perfectly, landing automatically when it has finished;
• Flight monitoring: thanks to the monitoring software integrated into agricultural drones, it is possible to collect real-time data on altitude, position, flight path and all the drone's performance, including battery life;
• Sensor optimization: the platforms are based on open-source software that makes it easier for developers to design and integrate sensors for any need.

Multisense: the revolution in agriculture arrives

Among the many interesting offerings in the field of agricultural drones, MicaSense is certainly worth mentioning among the latest-technology gems.

It is a new and very interesting 3-in-1 solution capable of capturing thermal and multispectral images, a top-of-the-range sensor specifically dedicated to mapping drones that enables advanced analysis with the aim of simplifying the workflow, with synchronized acquisition of the data to be collected.

Thanks to accessories like these, drones can provide more precise and increasingly frequent data on crop conditions.

This data is in high demand and includes:

• Vegetation indices:
• Plant counting;
• Soil levels;
• Soil temperature;
• Photogrammetry, surveying/3D mapping.

The drones' multispectral cameras capture both visible and invisible images, providing the data needed to monitor crop health optimally.

In particular, drone photogrammetry makes it possible to:

• Classify vegetation;
• Optimize irrigation;
• Identify plant nutrient deficiencies, thus allowing fertilizer to be dosed precisely;
• Assess soil conditions, identifying the most critical areas that may need intervention;
• Constantly monitor crops through multispectral data;
• Monitor crop vegetative vigor and tell zones apart.

Multispectral cameras also allow connection to the UAS, thus making it possible to acquire all the information on the very health of the soil.

At the same time the camera captures and transmits the same image visible to the naked eye (RGB).

Precision agriculture with drones in agriculture therefore relies on increasingly modern, refined and effective instruments. It would be a real shame not to take them into account.

Drones in agriculture: what they are really for

Drones in agriculture make it possible to survey fields from above quickly and to collect data useful for agronomic decisions. Thanks to GPS, sensors and processing software, you can assess soil condition, monitor crop health and plan targeted irrigation and fertilisation. Depending on the goal, you use mapping drones with multispectral cameras or drones for spraying and spreading products in the field.

How to choose the camera: RGB, multispectral or thermal

The RGB camera is the starting point for photogrammetry, orthophotos and 3D terrain models. The multispectral camera adds the bands invisible to the human eye and lets you calculate vegetation indices, identify nutrient deficiencies and distinguish plant vigour. The thermal sensor, on the other hand, helps assess water stress and soil temperature: integrated solutions such as multispectral and thermal sensors in a single payload simplify the workflow thanks to synchronised data acquisition.

From flight to map: software and workflow

After the flight, the images are processed with dedicated software that produces orthomosaics, vegetation index maps and terrain models. These outputs can be shared with the agronomist and used for variable-rate prescriptions in the field. Proper flight planning, with altitude and ground resolution set in advance, is the basis for obtaining data that can be compared over time.