Heatmap Opacity Control

Adjusting the Visibility of Vegetation Metrics on the Map

The heatmap opacity control allows you to adjust how strongly the vegetation metric overlay (NDVI, NDRE, NDMI, MSAVI) appears on your field map. This feature helps you blend the metric layer with the underlying base image to better interpret what is happening on the ground.

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Why Opacity Matters

Satellite heatmaps are extremely useful for identifying:

• Variability in crop vigor

• Moisture differences

• Nutrient or chlorophyll variation

• Early stress signals

However, these patterns often make more sense when combined with what the field physically looks like. Adjusting opacity lets you see both layers at the same time.

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What the Opacity Slider Controls

The opacity slider ranges from:

• 0% (fully transparent) → heatmap hidden; base map fully visible

• 100% (fully opaque) → heatmap fully visible; base map not visible

Most growers use a blended view somewhere between 30% and 70%.

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What You Can See When Adjusting Opacity

High Opacity (Closer to 100%)

• Best for analyzing the vegetation metric itself

• Helps detect hot spots, weak zones, or stress patterns

• Useful when comparing actual values or change-from-last-scan patterns

Low Opacity (Closer to 0%)

• Reveals the base satellite image underneath

• Helps identify visible infrastructure such as:

  • Row structure

  • Block boundaries

  • Soil texture differences

  • Irrigation lines

  • Shading or terrain factors

Note: The base imagery is not always the most current satellite picture, but it provides valuable context.

Mid-Opacity (Blended View)

• Ideal for interpreting what causes variations in the metric

• Helps link patterns to real physical characteristics

• Supports targeted scouting

• Useful for diagnosing:

  • Irrigation uniformity

  • Establishment issues

  • Block-to-block differences

  • Soil-driven variability

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Practical Examples

Use High Opacity When:

• Comparing vegetation activity across zones

• Looking for early stress indicators

• Reviewing NDMI for moisture deficiencies

• Checking NDRE for chlorophyll or nutrient issues

Use Low to Medium Opacity When:

• Trying to understand why a low-vigor area exists

• Aligning metric patterns with visible field features

• Planning where to scout

• Confirming if issues follow rows, irrigation paths, or terrain features

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Opacity and Interpretation Quality

Many insights only emerge when switching opacity levels. For example:

• A weak NDVI zone may correspond to a low spot on the field (visible at low opacity)

• A moisture-stressed NDMI region may align with a broken or clogged irrigation line

• NDRE variability may trace nutrient application patterns

Using opacity properly helps bridge the gap between remote sensing and real-world conditions.

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The opacity control is a simple but powerful tool that enhances the interpretability of satellite maps and helps growers make field-specific decisions with greater confidence.