Drones in farming and agriculture

Drones In Farming And Agriculture

 From autonomous crop spraying drones to multispectral imaging capabilities, the future of farming and agriculture is here. Agriculture professionals around the world are realizing major efficiencies from new tools that aid in maximizing yields. When dealing with hundreds of acres on an average farm, this amounts to time consuming and labour intensive work. Drone and sensor technology can reduce the time required to proactively monitor and react, substantially from days to hours.

Technology:

  • Less expensive than most traditional farm equipment.
  • Drones offer a better overview of crops and the ability to cover large areas more efficiently than traditional methods.
  • Flight planning and automation enables professionals to proactive in monitoring their crop health and ecosystem.
  • RTK syncing technologies stamp centimeter-level precision positioning and time information to the data.
  • Power data analysis software solutions give meaningful insight from the data collected, such as nutrient deficiencies, pest damage, and more.
  • Actionable data means that professionals can send in crop spraying drones to target problem areas.

Sensors:

  • Multispectral imaging sensors collect valuable vegetation data such as NDRE and NDVI. 
  • Thermal imaging enables tracking of surface temperatures.
  • LiDAR sensors can create elevation and 3D models of your farm.
  • Sunlight sensors capture solar irradiance and correct NDVI results, maximizing accuracy and consistency.

Limitations:

  • Limitations from regulations of drones with chemical spraying capabilities.
  • Drone regulations in Canada and USA require certification for operators.
  • Technology learning curve may require adopters to be receptive and willing to spend time learning and implementing new drone and software technology.

Overall farming and agriculture professionals can make timely data driven decisions resulting in lower costs and resource requirements, ultimately maximizing yields.