3 Benefits of drone use in agriculture

Source: Agrotechnomarket.com

Drone technology has been around for decades, and an agriculture industry takes a part of technology innovation. Drone in agriculture has benefits to monitor fields in eastern Oregon from the air, looking for moisture and nutrient deficiencies in crops which allows farmers to apply treatment before the crops are impacted significantly.

Agriculture is on tap to make up 80 percent of the market for unmanned aircrafts in the next couple of decades. With the invention of newer, more effective technologies, drones have the potential to improve the agriculture industry into a future of sustainability.

Although drone technology is still modifying production to enhance easy to use and lower prices, these machines already have the potential to go a long way towards improving farmers’ bottom lines – and the environment. The following are three key benefits of drone use in agriculture:

1. More information, less time

One of the major benefits of drones is their ability to scout farm fields both quickly and efficiently. Rather than having growers evaluate fields manually on foot or by tractor, this technology allows farmers to gain immediate knowledge about the status of their fields in shorter periods of time.

This information can be gathered whenever and wherever it is needed, minimizing the response time required to address issues and maintain crops.

2. Improving crop health

New drone technology is very effective at collecting data to help farmers improve crop health.With the help of GPS, Drones can map an entire farm, find pests or dry soil, and relay exact coordinates for attention. Equipped with sensors, drones flying over a field can collect plant height measurements by gathering range information from the plant canopy and the ground below. By measuring near infrared wavelengths through a multispectral images, drones can also create vegetation index images, can be combined to create a view of the crop that highlights differences between healthy and absorbing maximum sunlight and also can make difference for distressed plants in a way that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

Drones also create satellite maps that can help farmers make decisions about fertilizer – a major concern of farmers, as fertilizer represents up to 50 percent of input costs. By using high-tech sensors to absorb near infrared wavelengths, drones make maps that can show where phosphorous and nitrogen might be needed – or where there is an excess of nutrients. In this way, more nutrients are being applied where they are needed most, as more fertilizer is absorbed by plants when it is applied precisely. This level of detail can help farmers increase production and efficiencies that lead to higher yields.

3. Water efficiency

Thermal cameras are able to detect cooler, well-watered field regions as well as dry hot patches. Farmers can reveal patterns that expose everything from irrigation problems and avoid wasting excess water.

And by increasing water and fertilizer efficiency, drone technology also helps to see fungal infestations that aren’t apparent at eye level.

Most drones currently available for use in the agriculture industry are very costly. However, with new developments and further innovation, drones may start to prove their value in agriculture.

See also: The 8 Best Drones in Agricultural Sector on the Market Today

Finally, a drone in agriculture can survey a crop every week, every day, or even every hour. Combined to create a time-series animation, that imagery can show changes in the crop, revealing trouble spots or opportunities for better crop management.