Agriculture Drones The Future of Farming!
Tuesday, 26 March, 2019
Drones for agriculture? Sounds a little far-fetched, but believe it or not, they are proving very useful for farmers to monitor their properties. But will federal rules support or hamper the growth of this industry?
Thanks to new agriculture drones, farmers are using high-precision methods for geo-tagging aerial images. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones can help farmers keep a track of their fields and livestock, which can prevent diseases.
In just the past couple of years, drone technology has advanced past the point of novelty. Drones are now a wise investment option, delivering valuable payback on initial cost. Seeing this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also relaxed some of its earlier regulations on registering and operating drones. The effect of these factors can be readily seen; the total addressable value of drone-powered solutions in all applicable industries tops $127 billion.
The farm drone isn’t exactly a new idea, I know. But what I’ve been marveling at these days is the constantly expanding range of farm drone applications, particularly as they relate to “smart farming” — which is a bit of a new idea. Based on new research, by 2050, our world’s population is supposed to be so much greater that our current food production will have to increase by 70% from what it is now to feed everyone. But there’s an even trickier part: Scientists estimate there will be much higher demand for water and a lot less arable land available.
Drones provide information regarding soil, fruits, crops, and weeds. These devices aid in crop scouting and alert users in making the right decisions about pesticides & fertilizers. This can help farmers increase their agricultural yield without any eco harm or wastage.
Furthermore, developers are in cahoots with the government to track and prevent illegal activities; like poaching, logging, and deforestation.
Top Key Players are: Trimble Navigation Ltd., DJI Technology, 3D Robotics, Precision Hawk, and Parrot SA are the key players in this market. Trimble Navigation Ltd. holds majority of the shares.
Aided by recent evolutions in drone technology, one area that is seeing unprecedented growth in Agriculture. The days of walking through fields to inspect crop yields are now almost over. Now drones can assist farmers in a range of tasks from analysis and planning, to the actual planting of crops, and the subsequent monitoring of fields to ascertain health and growth.
A drone can take centimetre level images and traverse the whole field rather than just the perimeter. Using a multi-spectral sensor, the camera can get up close and monitor things that even the expert eye can’t detect, such as moisture, plant health, stress level, as well as things like crop density, contour problems and plant height. With access to a live feed of what the drone camera is seeing, a single operator is able to cover more ground in lesser time. By using precise drone technology, farmers are able to optimize both farm productivity and profitability based on real-time field information. With a greater visual overview, farmers are able to have a greater perspective of the crop fields they are inspecting, thus leading to more efficient farming. Drone usage in the agriculture sector is a major industry, providing farmers invaluable information to increase profits and productivity while also decreasing their environmental impact.
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Category: Technology
Tags: agriculture drones drones farming