Most of the money in a grove goes into inputs: fertiliser, biostimulants, fuel and labour hours. The problem is that those inputs are usually spread evenly across the whole parcel, even though the crop is not in even condition. One stretch of a row suffers from drought or poorer soil, another is vigorous — and you treat both the same. This is exactly where drone parcel mapping and NDVI imagery change the picture: instead of guessing, you get a map that shows where the crop is under stress and where everything is fine.
This article explains what an orthophoto is, what NDVI is, how a health map guides inputs, and what the final report looks like.
What is legal to fly and image in Croatia
First, it is worth separating what a drone may do today from what it may not. Drone imaging in agriculture — mapping, orthophoto, NDVI monitoring — is fully legal and widely available. The flight is carried out under the rules of the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency (HACZ), with a registered operator.
What is not permitted is spraying pesticides by drone. Under the Act on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NN 32/20) and Directive 2009/128/EC, aerial application of pesticides is generally prohibited, and no plant-protection product in Croatia is registered for aerial use. The announced EU reform (the so-called omnibus, 2025/2026) might partially change this, but that remains uncertain for now. We cover the legal framework on our drone protection page. If you would like us to notify you should the rules change, get in touch.
Mapping and NDVI, on the other hand, you can use right away.
Orthophoto: an accurate map of the whole parcel
An orthophoto is a map of the parcel assembled from dozens of overlapping images, geometrically corrected so that every point has an accurate position. It is not an ordinary aerial photo but a measurable base layer on which you can see:
- the layout of rows, spacings and access routes
- gaps in the planting and spots where vines or trees are missing
- zones of erosion, water retention or uneven growth
- the actual area and shape of the parcel
On terraced olive groves on Pelješac or vineyards on Hvar, an orthophoto often shows for the first time just how uneven a parcel really is — something that simply cannot be seen from the ground, between the rows.
NDVI: a health map of the crop
NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) measures how much a plant reflects near-infrared light relative to red light. Healthy, active foliage strongly reflects infrared; a stressed plant reflects it less. The result is a colour map — from red and yellow (weak vegetation index) to green (vigorous, healthy crop).
It is important to understand what NDVI is and is not. NDVI shows where the crop is under stress, often weeks before you would notice it with the naked eye. NDVI does not tell you why — whether the cause is drought, nitrogen deficiency, disease or compacted soil. That is the job of an agronomist on the ground. The map directs where to look; the decision is made by you and your agronomist.
How a health map cuts input costs
Once you know where the crop is weak, you stop treating the whole parcel the same. Instead of an even dose of fertiliser or biostimulant, you direct inputs to the zones that actually need them. This brings several concrete savings:
- Targeted feeding instead of blanketing the whole area with a full dose
- Early reaction to stress while the problem is still local and cheap to fix
- Less trampling and driving through zones that need no treatment
- Better planning of harvest and work based on the real state, not an average
What is legal to carry out by drone — foliar feeding with fertilisers and biostimulants, watering and spreading of permitted materials — can be aimed precisely at those zones. Plant protection is still done conventionally, but now more precisely, because you know where the hotspots are.
We do not promise magic numbers. Realistically, targeted spending reduces input use on zones that are already healthy and shortens the time to react on those that are weakening — and that is where the savings accumulate over a season.
What the report looks like
After the flight you receive a clear package, not a pile of raw images. A typical report contains:
- an orthophoto map of the whole parcel
- a colour NDVI map with problem zones marked
- short notes for each zone (e.g. “south-west corner — weaker index, check irrigation”)
- a recommendation of next steps and a basis for the conversation with your agronomist
For crops we monitor through the season, we also compare imagery over time, so you can clearly see whether a zone is improving or declining. We cover that service in more detail on the mapping and monitoring page.
Pricing
Indicative prices are transparent and per hectare:
- Mapping (orthophoto): from €20/ha
- NDVI monitoring: from €30/ha
- Foliar feeding: from €45/ha (terraced terrain from €65/ha)
- Half-day visit: from €450; full day from €850
The minimum fee is €120 and is waived for parcels larger than 3 ha. For locations further than 30 km, €0.80/km is added. See the full price list on the pricing page.
Mapping and NDVI pay off especially on demanding terrain — steep olive groves on Brač, vineyards on Korčula or scattered parcels in the Neretva valley — where a ground-level overview is hardest. We cover work on such locations on the difficult terrain page, and crop specifics on the vineyards, olive groves and orchards and citrus pages.
Want a health map of your parcel and a concrete suggestion of where to direct your inputs? Get in touch and we will arrange a flight.