Supercharge Your Scouting: Connect to the Best in Field Imagery

Read Time: 3 minutes
August 3, 2021
Scott Speck
Activation Manager, Climate LLC

Scouting technology has never been more advanced. But this added sophistication does not mean field health imagery tools are more complicated or unfriendly. In fact, as machine learning, computer vision and artificial intelligence have progressed, many of the platform partners on FieldView™ have simplified digital scouting tools. Seldom is something faster and more accurate, but in the case of emerging field imagery technology, here are three companies accomplishing both.  

Covering More Ground, More Often

100 acres in 15 minutes. This is the promise of DroneDeploy, a FieldView platform partner and enterprise drone software platform. The benefits of drones in field scouting have long been apparent. Drones can go places faster, create less disruption and do it all more frequently. But going from data to action is another undertaking. DroneDeploy is working to eliminate this obstacle. Their software allows for pre-programmed flights to conduct stand counts, evaluate crop health, validate product performance, and even evaluate field damage after a weather event. If you're new to flying a drone, they will even help you become a certified drone pilot. Many agronomists use DroneDeploy to provide an additional level of service to their farmers. This technology is accessible to anyone willing to learn, but you can also reach out to your local service provider and let them know that this would be a valuable benefit to your operation. 

Stand Assessment mission-planning allows you to quickly scan your field to capture the data needed for stand counts. Video courtesy of DroneDeploy.

Moving From Imagery to Investment

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but imagery from FieldAgent™ by Sentera is worth so much more. This FieldView platform partner takes spectral imagery from drones and satellites and pairs it with weather, soil data and other field observations to help growers make timelier decisions and increase profitability. Combined with analytics products like FieldAgent Tassel Count, growers, consultants and retailers know when to invest to increase yield potential or how to best market their crop.  

FieldAgent Tassel Count analytics tool quickly delivers an accurate tassel count map of the entire field so you can streamline your in-field scouting time, easily forecast crop yields prior to harvest and make other critical management decisions. Images courtesy of Sentera.

Bringing Automation to Scouting Logistics

Managing field health is all about priorities. Every issue in a field does not require the same level of attention or resources. IntelinAir, Inc.’s AGMRI®, another FieldView platform partner, can automatically prioritize every field alert using insights from previous flight data from the current year. Beyond the size and severity of a potential issue, IntelinAir uses machine learning to know if one field has produced low yields in seasons past. Using this information, the alerts you receive can favor higher-producing acres. This is one level of decision-making and organization that frees you up to tackle the biggest, most complex problems on your operation.   

AGMRI uses Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Hi-res imaging to deliver a complete and uninterrupted view of every acre and every field from planting to harvest. Image courtesy of IntelinAir.

A New Era of Analyzing Crop Health

Platform partners like Drone Deploy, Sentera and IntelinAir are bringing you closer to your fields. The human brain is limited by time, attention and our ability to complete a task the exact same way, every single time. Technologies like computer vision, artificial intelligence and machine learning amplify your scouting abilities. You can scout daily while taking fewer steps, monitor every single acre and quickly make decisions based on volumes of data points. The scouting of yesteryear is not out of sight, rather, this technology puts the health of your crops further into focus.  

An Open View of Digital Farming

FieldView has always been an open platform to give farmers control and choices with their operation’s data. Although we are selective in our platform partners, to ensure the privacy of our users, we are always willing to integrate the latest technology from the likes of Drone Deploy, Sentera, Intelinair and others. We firmly believe that providing all the information farmers need, in one place, can make FieldView and other platforms used along with it even more valuable to farmers. Find out more by visiting our Friends with FieldView page.  


About the Author

Scott is currently an Activation Manager for Climate LLC. At Climate, Scott works with internal and external teams to ensure customers of Climate FieldView are utilizing data to make decisions and drive profitability on farm. He has a passion for connecting foundational agronomy to technology tools and software, helping identify problems and opportunities while bringing the insight to solve them. Scott holds a B.S. from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in Agronomy and a M.S. from Iowa State University in Agronomy and is a Certified Crop Adviser.