🌱 GNDVI: Looking at Green for Nutrient Clues

NDVI is the workhorse of vegetation monitoring, but sometimes we need a sharper tool. That’s where GNDVI — Green Normalized Difference Vegetation Index — comes in.

Instead of using the red band like NDVI does, GNDVI swaps in the green band alongside near-infrared (NIR). Why does this matter? Because the green band is more sensitive to chlorophyll concentration, which is directly tied to nitrogen use and overall leaf health.

Hazelnut orchard GNDVI

What does this mean in practice?

• Crops or trees with strong chlorophyll levels reflect light differently in green, giving us a clearer picture of how well they’re using nutrients.

• Weak or nutrient-deficient plants often show up on GNDVI maps even when NDVI looks fine.

• In vineyards, GNDVI helps guide variable-rate fertilizer applications, making sure vines get what they need without overusing inputs.

• In forestry, it can highlight nutrient stress in trees that still appear healthy to the eye.

• For growers of Christmas trees or orchard crops, GNDVI provides an early look at whether the soil is supporting healthy foliage growth.

Multispectral drone on a reforestation project

🌿 Wrapping It Up

GNDVI sharpens the picture NDVI gives us, especially when it comes to nutrient management. By tuning into green light, it helps us understand how efficiently plants are using nitrogen — one of the most critical (and costly) inputs in agriculture.

🔗 What’s Next?

But nutrients are only one piece of the puzzle. What about soil itself? Sometimes what’s happening in the ground tells us more than what’s happening in the leaves. That’s where OSAVI comes in — an index designed to highlight the role of soil in vegetation health.