Agricultural Applications
Crop health imaging using multispectral sensors is a genuine, common commercial application for a standard Part 107 certificate, giving growers early visibility into problems across large fields well before they are visible to the naked eye. This lesson covers that use case in depth, including NDVI, the vegetation health index most associated with agricultural drone work, and then draws a clear, important line: agricultural spraying and dispersal operations are governed by a completely separate regulatory framework, 14 CFR Part 137, requiring certification beyond standard Part 107.
Why multispectral imaging is useful for agriculture
As covered in Module 15, multispectral sensors capture image data across specific narrow wavelength bands, often including near-infrared and red-edge bands invisible to the human eye. Healthy, vigorously growing plant tissue reflects near-infrared light strongly while absorbing red light heavily for photosynthesis; stressed, diseased, or sparse vegetation reflects and absorbs these wavelengths differently. This difference is measurable well before a human observer walking or driving through a field would notice any visible sign of a problem, which is exactly why this technology matters commercially to growers.
NDVI: the standard vegetation health index
The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is the most widely used calculated index for this purpose, computed from the near-infrared (NIR) and red reflectance values captured for each point in a field. Healthy, dense vegetation produces a high NDVI value, while stressed, sparse, or bare ground produces a lower NDVI value. Processing software converts this calculated value across an entire field into a color-coded map, commonly shown as a gradient from red or brown (low NDVI, potential stress) through yellow to deep green (high NDVI, healthy vegetation), letting a grower or agronomist visually scan an entire field for problem areas at a glance.
What an NDVI map is not: it is not a normal photograph
An NDVI map is a calculated data visualization, not a direct color photograph of the field. The colors in a typical NDVI map are assigned by the processing software to represent the calculated index value at each point, not the actual visible appearance of the crop; a field showing "red" on an NDVI map does not necessarily look visibly red or distressed to the naked eye standing in the field, which is precisely the point — the index can reveal a developing problem before it becomes visually obvious.
Real-world value to a grower
An NDVI or similar multispectral survey lets a grower target scouting, irrigation adjustments, or pest/disease investigation to the specific zones flagged as underperforming, rather than manually walking or driving an entire large field, or applying a uniform treatment across an entire field when only a portion actually needs attention. This targeted approach can meaningfully reduce input costs (water, fertilizer, pesticide) while also catching problems earlier than they would otherwise be noticed, both of which are genuine, quantifiable value a remote pilot with the right sensor and processing workflow can offer to an agricultural client.
The mapping workflow applied to agriculture
An agricultural crop-health survey uses the same grid mission planning fundamentals covered in the previous lesson: a large field is flown in a grid pattern at a target altitude and overlap appropriate for the field's size and the sensor in use, and the resulting overlapping multispectral images are processed by specialized software into a single stitched NDVI (or similar index) map covering the entire field, exactly the same underlying photogrammetry principle used for a construction-site orthomosaic, applied here to a different sensor and a different analytical output.
An NDVI vegetation health map: color-coded index values highlighting healthy versus stressed crop zones.
View LargerWhy spraying is a completely different regulatory category
Everything covered above, capturing standard photos or multispectral sensor data of a field, requires nothing beyond a standard Part 107 remote pilot certificate, because it does not involve dispersing any substance from the aircraft. Agricultural spraying and dispersal operations, using a drone to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, or other substances to crops, are a fundamentally different activity governed by an entirely separate regulation: 14 CFR Part 137, Agricultural Aircraft Operations. This is a genuinely common point of confusion worth stating plainly: holding a Part 107 remote pilot certificate does not, by itself, authorize spraying or dispersal operations of any kind.
What Part 137 actually requires
Part 137 covers agricultural aircraft operations broadly defined as dispensing any economic poison (a category that includes pesticides and herbicides), dispensing any other substance intended for plant nourishment, soil treatment, or the propagation of plant life, or otherwise engaging in dispensing activities directly affecting agriculture, horticulture, or forest preservation. A remote pilot who wants to conduct these operations with a drone needs to obtain an Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate (AAOC), issued under Part 137, in addition to, not instead of, their standard Part 107 remote pilot certificate. Part 137 certification does not replace or eliminate the underlying Part 107 requirement; both apply together for a drone conducting spray operations.
State-level requirements add another layer
Beyond the federal Part 137 certification, many states impose their own separate licensing requirements for anyone applying pesticides or other chemicals commercially, commonly a state chemical or pesticide applicator license, which is independent of and in addition to the FAA's federal certification. A remote pilot considering agricultural spraying work needs to research the specific requirements of the state where the work will occur, not assume federal certification alone is sufficient everywhere.
Scenario: expanding from crop imaging into spraying without the right certification
A remote pilot has been successfully offering NDVI crop-health surveys to local growers under a standard Part 107 certificate and is approached by a client asking whether the same drone could also apply a targeted pesticide treatment to the specific stressed zones the NDVI survey identified. Recognizing that this request crosses from imaging into dispersal, the pilot correctly explains to the client that spraying requires an Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate under 14 CFR Part 137, in addition to the pilot's existing Part 107 certificate, and likely a state pesticide applicator license as well, none of which the pilot currently holds. Rather than attempting the spray job without the required certification, which would be a genuine regulatory violation, the pilot either declines that portion of the work, refers the client to an appropriately Part 137-certificated operator, or begins the separate process of obtaining Part 137 certification if spraying work is a direction the pilot wants to pursue.
Planning an NDVI crop health survey
This walkthrough covers imaging only, not any dispersal operation.
Confirm the aircraft carries a multispectral sensor capturing NIR and red bands
Verify the sensor payload is genuinely capable of capturing the specific wavelength bands NDVI calculation requires, not just a standard RGB camera.
Plan a grid mission covering the full field with appropriate overlap
Apply the same grid mission planning and overlap fundamentals covered in the previous lesson to the field boundary.
Process the imagery into a stitched NDVI map
Use specialized agricultural imaging software to calculate the NDVI (or similar index) value across the field and produce a single color-coded map.
Deliver the map with context, not just raw data
Provide the grower or agronomist client with a clearly explained deliverable, since an unexplained color-coded map has limited value without guidance on what the flagged zones likely indicate.
| Mistake | Why it happens | Correct understanding | Regulation / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assuming a Part 107 certificate authorizes agricultural spraying | Both crop imaging and spraying are commonly grouped together under "agricultural drone work" | Spraying/dispersal requires an Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate under Part 137 in addition to Part 107; Part 107 alone does not authorize it | 14 CFR Part 137 |
| Believing Part 137 certification replaces the need for a Part 107 certificate | Having a second, more specialized certification can feel like it supersedes the general one | Part 137 certification is required in addition to, not instead of, a valid Part 107 remote pilot certificate for drone spray operations | 14 CFR Part 137 |
| Treating an NDVI map as a literal color photograph of the field | The map visually resembles an aerial photo with color variation | An NDVI map is a calculated data visualization; its colors represent an index value, not the field's actual visible appearance | NDVI fundamentals |
| Assuming federal Part 137 certification alone is sufficient for spraying anywhere in the country | Federal certification is often assumed to be the only layer of regulation involved | Many states also require a separate state chemical/pesticide applicator license, independent of federal certification | State-level agricultural chemical application requirements |
Can I spray pesticides with just my Part 107 certificate?
No. Agricultural spraying and dispersal operations require an Agricultural Aircraft Operator Certificate under 14 CFR Part 137, in addition to a valid Part 107 remote pilot certificate. A standard Part 107 certificate alone does not authorize spraying.
What does NDVI actually measure?
NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) is calculated from near-infrared and red reflectance values. Healthy, vigorous vegetation produces a higher NDVI value than stressed, sparse, or bare ground, allowing crop stress to be identified before it is visible to the naked eye.
Do I need special equipment for crop health imaging?
Yes, a multispectral sensor capable of capturing near-infrared and red wavelength bands, since a standard RGB camera cannot capture the data NDVI and similar indices require.
Test Your Knowledge
Answer the questions below to check your understanding. Every answer can be found in the lesson above.