What is NDVI and How Farmable AI Uses It to Monitor Plant Health
At Farmable, we’re always looking for smarter ways to support your decision-making in the field. That’s why we’ve introduced monthly NDVI notations into your Field Notes — giving your Farmable AI-powered assistant a whole new layer of data to work with.
But what exactly is NDVI? And why should it matter to you?
Understanding NDVI: A Quick Breakdown
NDVI stands for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index — a satellite-based measurement that helps us determine how “green” and healthy vegetation is. It’s widely used in agriculture to monitor plant health over time, catch early signs of stress, and assess crop performance across different zones.
Here’s how it works in plain terms:
- Healthy plants absorb visible red light and reflect more near-infrared light.
- Stressed or sparse vegetation reflects more red light and less near-infrared.
- NDVI uses this contrast to assign a score between -1 and 1.
NDVI Score Range:
- 🟩 Green High NDVI (0.6 – 0.9): Lush, dense vegetation – a good sign!
- 🟨 Yellow Moderate NDVI (0.2 – 0.5): Possible early growth or mild stress
- 🟥 Red/Brown Low NDVI (< 0.2): Poor health, bare soil, or even dead vegetation
The greener the value, the healthier the crop.
How NDVI Works — A Bird’s Eye View
Thanks to satellites that regularly pass over your fields, we can capture light reflected from your crops and analyze it using NDVI. The resulting image is like a health map of your farm — areas that are thriving show up green, while problem spots might appear yellow or brown.
With monthly updates, you can track:
- Growth trends across the season
- Early signs of drought stress, disease, or pest impact
- Differences in performance between blocks or rows
Recovery after an intervention like irrigation or spraying.
How Farmable + AI Use NDVI
With NDVI added to your Field Notes, our Farmable AI can now combine satellite imagery with your boots-on-the-ground insights — giving you a deeper understanding of your crop health.
Here’s what that means in practice:
- Smarter recommendations: Farmable AI uses NDVI data to enhance insights into plant stress, development, and health.
- Early warnings: Detect anomalies before they become visible — like stress due to pests, water issues, or nutrition gaps.
- Better planning: Know which blocks need attention, and which are doing fine. Save time, resources, and money.
NDVI helps Farmable AI turn raw data into truly actionable advice.
Why This Matters
Your time in the field is valuable. NDVI gives you a consistent, objective view of your crops — even when you’re not there. By tracking this data monthly, Farmable helps you move from reactive to proactive crop management.
And this is just the beginning. NDVI is the first of many layers of smart data we’re integrating into your workflow to make precision agriculture accessible, practical, and powerful — no fancy hardware required.
Want to see it in action?
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Check your latest Field Notes and explore how Farmable AI is already using NDVI to deliver smarter, more personalized insights. Let the power of satellites and AI give your farm the edge it deserves.
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