How to Make Quality Maps and Image Requirements

How to Make Quality Maps and Image Requirements

CHOOSING THE RIGHT DRONE

Agremo analyses don’t require any additional equipment and can be requested with images captured with common commercial drones, both fixed-wing or multirotor. Many users choose to capture fields with DJI drones, but you’re free to choose the drone type that best works for you, as long as the image quality is around 0.9 in per pixel or 2.5 cm per pixel.

SENSOR / CAMERA

Agremo doesn’t require any specific sensor or camera. The analyses work with every available RGB sensor, which is the kind of sensor that comes with every DJI drone. Besides this, Agremo analyses also work with specialized sensors like the ones from Micasense or Senterra, as well as with thermal, NIR, or multispectral cameras.

STITCHING 

Professional drone data software solutions like Agremo can process stitched images (maps) in GeoTIFF format, not raw images. Maps are obtained by stitching individual images together using a stitching software solution. Most Agremo users use DroneDeploy’s stitching tool to stitch their images together, but you can use any available stitching service of your choice.

TIMING

Agronomists and Ag drone experts recommend starting mapping plants and crops once they’ve reached the V3 stage or about 5 in height. Also, fly during the middle of the day to avoid shadows on your images and assure good light distribution across the field.

PREVIOUS CROP TREATMENTS & WATERING

In case the plants were treated or watered before mapping, it would be best if the entire field was treated (not just part of the field), as these actions may have an impact on factors like color and canopy, which could affect the accuracy of the results.

FRONT & SIDE OVERLAP

To achieve 0.4-1 in per pixel, choose an 80% front overlap and a 75% side overlap, or try different settings that work for your drone and sensor. If you need a better image quality with more details (to spot plant stress or diseases on small plants for example), increase the side overlap accordingly.

ALTITUDE

Altitude always depends on the sensor you’re working with and how detailed the images have to be for this particular case. Ag drone experts recommend flying between 165-245 ft.

SPEED

Flying speed is connected to the flying altitude and is usually set to 4-10 MPH. Platforms like DroneDeploy have automated speed settings, which are determined based on the remaining mapping parameters, meaning that once you’ve established the basic mapping parameters using such automated flight planners, you won’t have to worry about speed settings.

WEATHER

Generally, it’s okay to fly both during sunny and overcast conditions, as long as the light is distributed evenly on the field. Experts recommend starting mapping either when clouds cover the entire field or when there are no clouds at all.

What Our Clients Say About Us

  • After introducing mapping and crop analysis reports to farmers, they could see their field from another perspective. Agremo is helping us bring essential information to farmers which were impossible to get until recently.

    Ramón Pagán

    Mapping Expert and President @ Caribe Drones // Puerto Rico

  • Agremo’s map is more specific. Competitors break their maps into half-acre grids, but Agremo colors the whole thing exactly how it is. Visually, it’s night and day. A lot of farmers are visual.

    Corey Nohl

    Drone Operator and Farmer @ Above All Aerial // MN, USA

  • With Agremo reports, farmers they can increase productivity, reduce major problems by having early warnings during the early stages of the crops preventing major losses. Bottom line, increase ROI while minimizing losses.

    Miguel Ángel Salgado

    General Manager & Mapping Expert @ Ansar Drone // Mexico

  • The best thing about the plant population reports is the accuracy, which is splendid and it is very important! Great service at eye level with the customer!

    Sune Enevoldsen

    Field Manager and Drone Operator @ Noble Nordmann // Denmark

  • The biggest benefit for farmers who use drones and Agremo reports is that they increase their yields, reduce costs or improve their productivity. In the end, all these benefits are lead to extra profits.

    Ciprian Iorga

    General Manager @ La Orizont // Romania

  • We introduced new farming methods to farmers in Africa, who recognized that Agremo and drones can provide them with quicker, more convenient, efficient and accurate way of gathering decision making information.

    Derrick Annan

    CEO @ Aeroshutter // Ghana

  • With Agremo, we doubled our productivity, and our forestry clients are happy with the Agremo reports necessary for the inventory system as well as a stem map with tree distribution.

    Curt Rogers

    Co-owner @ TimberDrone // USA

  • Of the few vendors who advertised drone imagery analytics, Agremo provided a vastly superior capability. It is extremely important to base any remote sensing assessment in solid ground truth. Agremo clearly excelled over their competitors.

    Konrad Kern

    Image Scientist @ Falcon Aerial Data // USA

  • Agremo Stand Count Analysis shows how successful seeding was and how many plants farmers will be able to harvest. Withal, it can help to apply different sowing standards in different parts of the plot, in order to achieve the highest yields.

    Zdravko Hojka

    Agroservice and Product Manager (Maize and Oil Crops), KWS SAAT AG

  • Since we ran our first report with Agremo, both our company and our customers continue to be impressed with the accuracy of the reports compared to our ground truthing. We have leveraged many Agremo reports but find the most value in crop health, weed and stand count analyses. We continue to leverage the Agremo intelligence as a proven way to improve our customers’ bottom line.

    Jeff Buyck

    VP of Precision Ag C&B

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