Time to do equipment calibration

17 February 2021

View of the phenocameras and NDVI sensors placed in the tower and the calibration equipment. Photo: Ryan Davidson.

After a mild autumn, the real winter has arrived at Lönnstorp Research Station. Over the last two weeks, temperatures have been below zero, with a minimum of -12ºC, according to the automatic weather station. These low temperatures have caused ice to form on the sea surface, which is just 3 km away from the station, and the fields around the station are covered in snow.

Despite the winter conditions, the station staff are already thinking about the spring season, as there is less than two months until the first crops should be sown and therefore time to check and calibrate the spectral equipment.

Solar panels that supply energy to the tower equipment. Photo: Ryan Davidson.

The spectral equipment consists of three phenocameras and two NDVI sensors (see fact box), powered by a solar panel and placed on a 10 meter high tower. The station staff implement regular revisions of all equipment and currently they are calibrating the NDVI sensors.

Text: Ana Barreiro.

Normalized difference vegetation index
Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is an index that describes the greenness of the vegetation. Through SITES Spectral, SITES monitors NDVI at Lönnstorp Research Station and six other stations.

The data from SITES Spectral is available through SITES Data Portal.