Nowadays, UAVs equipped with an imaging sensor are playing an important role in digital smart agriculture. This technique can be a key element driving improvements in agricultural precision, increases in crop productivity and a greater focus on targeted crop protection.
UAVs can be equipped with different data collection sensors, such as RGB, multispectral (MS), hyperspectral or thermal cameras, or Lidar. Plants reflect light at varying levels depending on their chlorophyll content and biomass. A UAV with a multi or hyperspectral camera measures the reflected energy received from the sun in different areas of the spectrum. The level of energy reflected back from the vegetation and the relation between different spectral bands can enable the health situation of the crop to be indexed. There are various vegetation indexes, including the well-known Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) which is based on using the near-infrared (NIR) band. The NDVI is normally used to indicate leaf coverage and plant health, with high NDVI values indicating a high concentration level of biomass. Hence, the NDVI and other vegetation index maps represent great potential for increasing agricultural food production in a more sustainable manner.
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