OneSoil Now Offers Argentine Farmers NDVI Images in Any Weather
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Now you can monitor your fields even when the sky is overcast.
The NDVI vegetation index is a measure of the amount and quality of vegetation in a field during the growing season. It’s used to assess a crop’s condition and is calculated using satellite images. Until recently, no one in the world was able to determine the NDVI index in cloudy weather. Satellites couldn’t see through the clouds, and technology couldn’t do anything about it. Now that’s changed: OneSoil app users can see the NDVI index on their field at any time, regardless of the weather.
The NDVI vegetation index is a measure of the amount and quality of vegetation in a field during the growing season. It’s used to assess a crop’s condition and is calculated using satellite images. Until recently, no one in the world was able to determine the NDVI index in cloudy weather. Satellites couldn’t see through the clouds, and technology couldn’t do anything about it. Now that’s changed: OneSoil app users can see the NDVI index on their field at any time, regardless of the weather.
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Cloud-Free NDVI (a technology that allows determining the vegetation index, even when the weather is cloudy) is now available to Argentine farmers. All OneSoil users will soon be able to access this feature, an opportunity we'll write about later.
So now the OneSoil apps can see NDVI in any weather?
Yep. Our team has developed technology that analyzes satellite images of fields from various sources and determines the vegetation index, even if the weather’s overcast. We use radar and optical data from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites, in-house machine learning algorithms, and ground-truth data to verify our calculations.
Here’s what the NDVI index looks like in the OneSoil web app
How often will NDVI information be updated?
Once every 3−5 days, year-round. That’s how often the satellites photograph the Earth. Within a few hours, OneSoil processes these images, calculates the NDVI, and displays the vegetation index in the mobile and web apps.
How much does it cost?
The OneSoil mobile and web apps are free for farmers from all over the world.
How accurate is Cloud-Free NDVI?
You be the judge: The maximum error in the calculations is 3−4%, and the resolution of the images we use to calculate the NDVI index is 10 meters. This means that for each 100 square-meter area, you’ll know the vegetation index with an error of 3−4%.
Can I see what the NDVI was in my field a month ago? There was heavy fog.
Cloud-free NDVI change history back from February 2021 is available to all OneSoil users in Argentina. Earlier NDVI images are only available for days when the weather was cloudless.
I heard there’s also a biomass index that’s cloud-free, as well. How does Cloud-free Biomass compare to NDVI?
Both indices correlate with each other. The biomass index depends on soil moisture and plants' chlorophyll content. NDVI is also affected by chlorophyll content, leaf area, density, and canopy structure. When soil moisture is unfavorable for a particular plant, its NDVI value drops. That means that either one of these indices can be used. It’s up to you to choose the one that’s more convenient and beneficial for you.
Can I use NDVI to calculate variable-rate seed and fertilizer application?
Absolutely! The OneSoil web app has free tools to analyze the field vegetation index, create productivity zones, and calculate seed and fertilizer rates by zone. Now that we know how to calculate Cloud-Free NDVI, these tools will become even more accurate soon.
Nitrogen fertilizer calculation tool in the OneSoil web app
Got it. Now how do I start using it?
Download the OneSoil Scouting mobile app for iOS or Android or sign up for the web app. They’re both free! After registration, select your fields on the map. We made it easier for you because their boundaries are already marked in the app. After that, click any field, and it’ll turn yellow and green. The colors correlate to the NDVI scale on the screen. In the web app, you can also view the numerical indices for any field plot, compare NDVI on different dates, and analyze plant development.
If you’re already using the OneSoil apps, just update the app to the latest version. Web app users don’t need to take any additional steps.
If you’re already using the OneSoil apps, just update the app to the latest version. Web app users don’t need to take any additional steps.
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Tanya Kovalchuk
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