How Drone Technology is Revolutionizing the Agriculture and Farming Industry

Drones are being used in agriculture sectors for a while now. Sources suggest that the majority of farmers in the United States either want to or are already using drones to monitor their crops. Did you know that there are certain types of drones that can lift heavy objects apart from cameras?

These may include fertilizer spraying containers or heat sensors to check if there is dead or surviving animals wandering in the field. With so many benefits, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or UAVs are changing the way people plant and grow their crops in this country.

How are Drones Revitalizing the Agriculture Sector?

Assessing crop health

Near ultraviolet cameras when fitted into drones can capture the light rays that are being used by plants for photosynthesis. This technology combined with UAVs helps farmers determine which areas of land need more light and which ones are growing faster than others.

All this analysis is a part of precision agriculture which has been boosted with the help of drones. The GPS based maps that are created by drones are then used with cutting edge technology to help increase the efficiency of farmers.

Creating digital maps

Drones are connected through wireless networks with smart devices, like iPad or iPhone, to create a digital map of the irrigated field. This helps farmers spray fertilizers and supply water in appropriate amounts to different patches of the irrigated land.

Monitoring livestock

Gone are the days when you needed a sheepdog to herd and control your livestock. Nowadays sophisticated unmanned flying objects can be fitted with heat-sensing cameras which can determine the exact location of each animal. Farmers can then use drones to locate if any animal has been hurt or is lying on the grown to give birth to a baby.

FAA regulations suggest that drones need to fly below 400 feet. Hence, the pictures captured through HD cameras fitted in these devices are quite precise and accurately capture how each plant in the field looks like from an elevated point. For this reason, insurance companies are also using these drones to capture the current state of the crop.

Vineyards and the the wine industry

The wine industry around the world is highly driven by visuals and high-end advertising. That being said, high quality content for marketing materials is a must. Using drones to capture stunning aerial photography and video is essential for showing off the vineyard property and showcasing the wine brand. Sunset and sunrise shots over beautiful crops like wine grapes is an easy win for designers and advertisers.

Drones are being used in the wine industry by the farmers and producers, as well as insurance companies to monitor and maintain the overall health of the property.

Future of drones in the agriculture sector

As farmers find more and more uses for these sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, scientists are thinking of developing drone groups that act independently but work collectively. What this essentially means is that there could be two or more drones that will assess, monitor and spray crops at one time. This will take farming efficiency to a whole new level. Besides that, developers are working toward hybrid drones that can fly high or stay on the ground to collect data and improve crop conditions.

As the use of drones grows in the field of agriculture, so does the fear that they might invade other people’s privacy or damage someone else’s property if they are not in your line of sight. For these and other reasons, the development of new types of drones goes through a rigorous quality check before being introduced to the market. Always check your local laws and certification requirements before filming.