Agriculture

Silver Spring Energy Consulting Ltd. provides a wide range of aerial mapping and remote sensing services to help farm operators maximize yields and minimize input costs. Our fleet of fixed wing and multirotor UAVs can map large areas quickly and cost-effectively.

As the state-of-the-art progresses, more methods of remote sensing have begun to crop up in agriculture. Silver Spring Energy Consulting Ltd. strives to stay on the leading edge of new technologies and methods to ensure you get the data you need, when you need it. Our core technologies include:

Vegetation health index imagery

See our section on NDVI and other vegetation health indices for more information on how this unique technology works.

Satellite imagery

Satellite imagery has been used since the late 1970s to identify crop stress. As time moves forward the resolution of imagery has increased to the point where it is now possible for even smaller farms to take advantage of this intelligence. Satellite imagery does of course have limitations in both spatial and temporal resolution, it is not always possible to redirect a satellite over a particular part of the world and it can’t do much if there is any cloud cover.

UAV imagery

UAVs have begun to take the agricultural world by storm. They are quick, safe and cheap to deploy and can capture images with exceptional resolution. Silver Spring Energy Consulting Ltd. uses industry leading camera systems to capture true multispectral imagery for creation of vegetation indexes. Some operators use a converted camera to capture near-infrared cameras, however studies have shown that this method provides less than accurate results. Our Micasense RedEdge cameras capture discrete spectral bands with dedicated sensors and stitch them together into a coherent, accurate vegetation health map.

Methane mapping

Methane mapping is a brand-new technology in agricultural remote sensing. Using highly sensitive methane detection systems mounted to a UAV or off-highway-vehicle we can precisely map the application of organic manure. Combined with multispectral imagery we can help identify areas in your fields that may need reapplication as your crops grow.

Aerial mapping

UAV captured imagery can be used to quickly and very accurately estimate crop damage from adverse weather such as hail, wind or flooding. High ground resolution combined with georeferenced imagery allows us to give the exact percent of your field that has been damaged so you can maximize your insurance settlement.