Method note
Method note: comparing orchard zones over time
A stated Farmbit 30-day scouting method, its inspection sequence, and the limits that remain before field confirmation.
Section 1
Method in one page
Farmbit's current orchard scouting workflow starts with a recent 30-day lookback, compares usable observations within a block, and checks coverage quality. It ranks an area for a field visit and turns that rank into a concrete check. The field record remains separate from the satellite observation.
Section 2
Source and spatial limits
The workflow names Sentinel-2 and NDVI, NDWI, NDMI, NDRE, and EVI. Sentinel-2 products include bands at 10 m, 20 m, and 60 m resolution; a 10 m pixel can combine canopy, soil, grass, road edge, and shadow. Farmbit identifies cloud and shadow as limitations, while the production mask, threshold, and scoring weights are not exposed here.
Section 3
Observation window and public comparison
A production record should keep acquisition dates and usable-scene count, but this note does not invent those values for any customer block. The public shifted demo has two checkpoints, 2026-02-18 and 2026-03-06. It is not a 30-day production result, a seasonal trend, or a customer record.
Section 4
Operating sequence
Confirm the block and crop context; collect the recent window; screen clouds, haze, and shadow; compare zones against their recent history and nearby zones; then rank the first walk. The field task should ask for observable checks such as canopy continuity, soil moisture, irrigation delivery, pressure, emitter uniformity, slope, or a management boundary. Record the field result against the same zone and date.
Section 5
What this method does not establish
Two checkpoints show a comparison, not a full season. Mixed pixels, row direction, canopy closure, tree age, pruning, replanting, cover crop, slope, and boundaries can alter the signal. No alert-to-field-confirmation rate is stated. A signal label does not establish disease, pest pressure, nutrient deficiency, irrigation failure, or a treatment decision.