NDVI and multispectral drone mapping, explained
What multispectral cameras measure, and when RGB is enough.
By The Best Mapping Drones team · Oct 23, 2026
Healthy plants reflect lots of near-infrared light and absorb red light. Stressed plants reflect less near-infrared. NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) turns that difference into a map, and a multispectral drone camera captures the bands needed to calculate it.
Multispectral vs. RGB
A regular RGB camera sees what you see. Useful, but stress often shows up in near-infrared before it’s visible. The DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral pairs a 20 MP RGB camera with four 5 MP multispectral cameras, and DJI rates it at up to 200 ha per flight.[3]
What growers use it for
- Spotting irrigation problems and drainage issues
- Scouting for pest or disease patches before walking the field
- Variable-rate application maps
Getting meaningful numbers
Light changes through the day. Use the drone’s sunlight sensor or calibration panels where your workflow supports them, fly at a consistent time, and compare fields against themselves over time rather than against other farms.
When RGB is enough
For stand counts, visible damage after storms or general field documentation, an RGB mapping drone is cheaper and simpler. Multispectral pays off when you act on the data with targeted inputs.
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