Nebraska · Lincoln · Omaha · Southeast NE
Drone stand counts and crop progression maps for southeast Nebraska fields
Visible-plant emergence counts on sample zones and repeat, dated RGB orthomosaics through the season — reported with the method, GSD and uncertainty so you know how far to trust them.
Representative licensed footage/photos; examples of services, not completed client projects.
01 — Overview
Two services, kept separate from basic field imagery
Basic RGB agricultural imagery gives you one stitched color map of a field. Stand counts and progression monitoring go further: counts need very low, high-resolution flights at the right growth stage, and progression needs the same flight repeated on comparable dates. They are scoped and priced per field after we review your goals.
In southeast Nebraska that usually means corn and soybean ground, seed-company or university-style plot work, and replant decisions after a cold, wet or crusted spring. The useful count window is short — often a week or two after emergence — so the earlier you contact us, the better the odds of catching it.
02 — Scope
Use cases and deliverables
Where it helps in Nebraska
- —Early-season emergence check on corn or soybean to support a replant conversation with your agronomist
- —Comparing stand in planting zones, hybrids or planter passes on a trial strip
- —Mapping washouts, ponding or crusting after heavy spring rain on terraced or river-bottom ground
- —Season-long progression record of a field or plot set, from emergence to canopy closure
- —Documenting visible hail or wind damage on dated imagery soon after a storm
Typical deliverables
- —Count table by sample zone with plants/acre estimate and gap/double flags
- —Count overlay maps and an optional GIS point layer
- —Dated GeoTIFF orthomosaics for each progression visit
- —Side-by-side comparison set with an RGB cover-proxy summary
- —Method & limitations note for every visit
Exact outputs depend on the project, overlap, site conditions and what is agreed in the written scope.
Method
Stand / emergence counts: what is actually counted
We count plants visible in the imagery, not the true agronomic stand. A visible-plant count misses plants that are hidden, too small to resolve, or merged with neighbors, and it can mistake weeds or volunteers for crop. We report it as an estimate with its method and limits, so you can compare it with your own in-field counts.
- —Reported per sample area as plants per row length (e.g. per 1/1000 acre of row), plants per square foot, and estimated plants per acre, broken out by planting zone where boundaries are provided.
- —Gap and double heuristics: spacing between detected plants flagged as possible skips (long gaps) or possible doubles (very short spacing). These are screening flags for field checks, not a planter diagnosis.
- —Counts are only attempted where plants are resolvable: typically early emergence (for example corn around VE–V4) before leaves overlap between plants and rows. Once the canopy closes, individual counts are not defensible and we will say so.
- —Ground sampling distance (GSD) must be fine enough that one seedling covers several pixels. We plan altitude to target sub-centimeter-to-about-1 cm GSD on count areas, which means low flights and more time per acre. If the target GSD can't be reached safely, we won't sell a count.
- —Counting is done by a documented semi-automated or manual-review workflow on sample zones. We don't advertise fully automated, validated whole-field plant counts.
Method
Crop progression monitoring: comparing dated RGB maps
Progression monitoring repeats a planned flight on agreed dates and compares the resulting orthomosaics or fixed-viewpoint photos side by side. It shows visible changes: emergence, canopy fill-in, lodging, flooding or washout, hail or wind damage, weed patches and other field anomalies worth scouting.
- —Visible-color vegetation cover proxies (for example percent green canopy cover or an RGB greenness index such as ExG) computed from ordinary color imagery.
- —RGB indices are not NDVI and are not multispectral agronomy. They do not measure chlorophyll, nitrogen status, water stress or yield, and are sensitive to sun angle, shadows, soil color and camera exposure.
- —Comparability depends on consistent altitude, time of day and settings; we log these for every visit and flag dates where lighting or wind make comparisons weak.
- —Findings are observations to guide scouting. We don't issue treatment prescriptions, variable-rate application maps or agronomic recommendations.
What you provide
- —Crop species and hybrid/variety if known
- —Planting date(s) and target seeding rate
- —Row spacing and row direction
- —Acres and field boundaries (shapefile, KML or a marked map)
- —Count goal and sampling plan: which zones, how many samples, or let us propose one
- —Georeference needs: is standard drone GPS fine, or do you need ground control or RTK-checked positions?
- —Ground truth: in-field hand counts on a few marked sample rows, if you want the estimate checked
- —Target repeat visits and dates (for progression)
- —Launch access, field contact and any irrigation, livestock or equipment schedule
Sample deliverable specification
- —Georeferenced RGB orthomosaic (GeoTIFF) per visit, with stated GSD
- —Count table (CSV) by sample zone: visible plants, row length or area, plants/acre estimate, gap/double flags
- —Count overlay map (PDF/PNG) and optional point layer (GeoJSON/shapefile) where geolocation supports it
- —Progression: dated side-by-side map set and an RGB cover-proxy summary per zone
- —Method & limitations note: flight date/time, altitude, GSD, lighting, growth stage, and known error sources
Exact outputs are fixed in the written scope. This is a sample specification, not a past client deliverable.
Sources of uncertainty we report
- —Canopy and leaf overlap between neighboring plants and rows
- —Variable lighting, shadows, wind-moved leaves and residue
- —Crop species and growth stage (small or grass-like seedlings are harder)
- —Weeds or volunteer plants that look like crop at emergence
- —GSD actually achieved and image blur
- —Sample-to-field extrapolation: a zone estimate is not a whole-field census
03 — Planning
Nebraska planning: timing, wind and access
- —Book counts before planting if you can; we schedule around your expected emergence date and confirm a few days ahead.
- —Spring wind on open Nebraska ground often limits low, slow count flights; we may split a field across mornings.
- —Airspace near Eppley Airfield (OMA), Offutt AFB and Lincoln Airport (LNK) is checked before every booking.
- —Center pivots, livestock, power lines and field equipment schedules need to be shared before the visit.
- —For ground-truth checks, mark a few sample rows with flags so in-field and drone counts line up.
04 — Quote & limits
Call for pricing and project information
Call for pricing and project information. Every project is scoped individually — nothing is binding until a written quote is accepted.
What this service does not include
- —RGB (visible light) camera only — no multispectral, NDVI, thermal or LiDAR sensing
- —No guaranteed count accuracy; estimates are reported with method and uncertainty
- —No agronomic, crop-insurance or yield opinions, and no treatment or variable-rate prescriptions
- —Not a professional agronomist or licensed crop adviser service
- —No licensed land survey, and no BVLOS or chemical-application flights
05 — FAQ
Questions we hear on these projects
+Is a drone count the same as my stand count?
No. We count plants visible in the imagery on sample zones. True stand includes plants that are hidden or too small to resolve, and can be over-counted by weeds. Treat our number as an estimate to compare with hand counts, not a replacement for them.
+When is the best time to fly for corn counts?
Usually soon after emergence and before leaves overlap between neighboring plants — often around VE to V4, depending on row spacing and conditions. Later than that, individual plants merge and we will tell you counts are no longer defensible.
+Can you give me NDVI or a nitrogen map?
No. The Mavic 3 Enterprise we fly is an RGB (visible light) camera. We can compute visible-color cover proxies, but those are not NDVI and are not a basis for nitrogen or treatment decisions.
+Will you tell me whether to replant?
No. We provide imagery, counts and their uncertainty. Replant and treatment decisions belong with you and your agronomist or crop adviser.