Which sensor technology is commonly used to assess crop health?

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) sensors are widely used to assess crop health due to their ability to measure the reflectance of different wavelengths of light from vegetation. NDVI specifically utilizes the red and near-infrared portions of the light spectrum to calculate a vegetation index that indicates the health and vigor of crops. Healthy plants reflect more infrared light and absorb more red light, resulting in a higher NDVI value. This makes NDVI sensors particularly valuable in precision agriculture, as they allow farmers to monitor crop conditions, identify stress factors, and optimize management practices based on the data collected.

Although infrared imaging sensors can provide useful information about crop health, they are typically broader in application and may not be as effective at quantifying vegetation health specifically as NDVI sensors. Humidity sensors and temperature probes do play important roles in monitoring environmental conditions that affect crop growth, but they do not provide direct assessments of crop health. NDVI sensors focus specifically on plant health indicators, making them the most relevant technology for this purpose.