The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has began issuing drone permits for the agriculture industry, lifting the ban on drones (also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs) for crop scouting. While the FAA is still working through the guiding rules for the commercial uses of drones, the technology is set to revolutionize the agriculture industry for years to come.
In fact, The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a trade group that represents the developers and users of drones, predicts agriculture will make up 80% of the commercial market for drone technology.
Here are some ways farmers and other business owners in agriculture can benefit from this exciting innovation.
Catch problems early
Without drone technology, farmers have to use images from satellites or manned planes to identify problem areas—if you’re lucky. If you’re not, you have to trudge your fields to monitor crops. Either way, the process often takes too much time to isolate and diagnose problems before severe damage occurs. Drones can offer real-time data that allows you to find problems such as bug infestations, insufficient water, temperature issues, diseases, lack of nutrients and more. Armed with that information, you can act quickly to minimize damage that could lead to crop losses.
Assess crop yields
Drones can be used to predict how large a crop will be, and when it is ready to harvest, reducing spoilage and allowing you to plan more effectively.
Reduce cost and pollution associated with chemicals
Farmers no longer need to use the spray-and-pray method, wasting expensive resources and flooding the ground and local water supplies with chemicals. You can use drones to gauge how much pesticide, herbicide, fertilizer and other applications are needed for any given area at any given time.
Scout crop locations
Some farms cover thousands of acres, so monitoring every acre by foot is impossible. However, drones can reach areas you can’t and easily collect data about the viability and sustainability of these locations. They can then use that data to plan whether to plant in a location or not.
Map fields
Images captured from drones can be used to create detailed maps of fields, water, structures, and the terrain.
Locate livestock
Drones can easily sweep a large farm in minutes and find injured, sick or lost animals that would otherwise not be found, or not found quickly enough to save them.
Drone advocates argue we have only just begun to realize the benefits of using drones for agriculture. They tout possibilities such as improving pasture management to provide a more cost effective way to feed livestock. Others predict drones could eventually be used as precision crop-dusters that can identify weeds and treat them with chemicals. Still others see the possibility of using drones to take soil and water samples.
One thing seems certain: the technology will eliminate waste, cut costs and provide farmers with real-time information you can use to make the most of your land and crops year-in and year-out.