Drones; The Future Of Farming - Smart Farming
The use of drones is not as new a concept as one might think. In fact, the first drones date back to the days of World War I in the military. However, the growing problems of the modern world have resulted in the modification of these drones to meet the needs of various industries.
One of those pressing needs was to feed the rapidly growing world population. In addition, farmers need to adopt more sophisticated control measures due to recent unpredictable weather conditions and pesticide-resistant crop diseases.
What Are Drones - Smart Farming
Drones can be defined as unmanned aircraft. In other words, they are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They can fly at higher heights, but most jurisdictions require a license to fly drones above 50m. Drones are more formally known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems. Essentially, a drone is a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously using software-controlled flight plans in its on-board systems, which work in conjunction with on-board sensors and a global positioning system ( GPS).
Initially, UAVs were designed for military purposes. But due to their limitless benefits, they have found their way into almost every industry, including agriculture.
Types of Drones - Smart Farming
There are two main types of drone platforms:
Rotor, including single-rotor and multi-rotor, such as Cadcopters, Quadcopters, Hexacopters and Octocopters;
Fixed-Wing, which includes hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones that do not require runways.
Here Are Several Drones Used In Agriculture.
6 Benefits of Drones in Agriculture- Smart Farming
The benefits of drones in agriculture are numerous, it is one of the technologies that advances precision agriculture. Precision agriculture is the science of improving efficiency, productivity, crop yields and profitability through the use of technology. According to analysts, drones in agriculture will be worth $5 billion by the end of 2025.
Drones allow farmers to quickly survey and map their fields and locate problem areas before the problem becomes too big.
The use of drones in agriculture has many advantages for the farmer, including:
1. Reduce agricultural costs
2. Increase efficiency
3. Increased productivity
4. Eases field monitoring
5. Save time
6. Improves the accuracy of management decisions;
How are Drones Used in Agriculture - Smart Farming
The entry of drones into agriculture has been welcomed, especially by commercial farmers. Drones are used for aerial surveys including crop monitoring, field mapping, pesticide spraying, image taking, crop health assessment, etc.
Planting & Seeding- Smart Farming
The new technology combines artificial intelligence with specially designed, patented seed pods that can be dropped from the sky. The company claims it works 25 times faster and 80% cheaper than traditional seed planting methodologies.
Once all the seeds have been planted, researchers continue to use seed-planting drones to detect and assess changes over time, count tree crowns, and calculate biomass. "This allows for accurate monitoring and reporting of growth rates and ultimately the success of the reforestation/revegetation project."
Well, believe it or not, that's exactly what an Australian startup is doing. Using a fleet of highly advanced 'Octocopters', AirSeed Technology is fighting deforestation by combining artificial intelligence with specially designed seed pods that can be dropped to the ground from high above.
Scouting/Monitoring Plant Health- Smart Farming
Drone technology has left a lasting impact on the Indian agricultural industry and its efficiency. Introducing drone-powered solutions for farmers to increase productivity in plant-to-plant monitoring, livestock management, pesticide spraying, crop stress identification, treatment planning, disease monitoring, plant growth, precision farming, exploration and more.
Agricultural drones offer growers, contractors and agricultural researchers a fast and efficient way to scan their crops, identify stress, create treatment plans, track plant growth and much more.
Using high-resolution RGB cameras and professional multi-spectral sensors, drones like the WingtraOne can detect and quantify crop health issues early on. This valuable information can reduce entry costs and increase returns.
Related;
Field Condition Monitoring- Smart Farming
Drone field monitoring is also used to monitor soil health and field conditions. Drones can provide accurate mapping of fields, including elevation information that allows growers to find any irregularities in the field.
Having information about field elevation is useful for determining drainage patterns and wet/dry spots that allow for more efficient irrigation techniques. Some agricultural drone retailers and service providers also offer soil nitrogen level monitoring using up-to-date sensors. This allows for precise fertilizer application, eliminating areas of poor growth and improving soil health for years to come.
Spray Application- Smart Farming
The use of drones to apply spray treatments is already widespread in Southeast Asia, with South Korea using drones for about 30% of its agricultural spraying. Drone sprayers can navigate hard-to-reach areas such as steep tea fields at high altitudes.
Drone sprayers save workers from having to navigate fields with knapsack sprayers, which can be hazardous to your health. Drone sprayers provide very fine spray applications that can be targeted to specific areas to maximize efficiency and save on chemical costs.
Security- Smart Farming
Drone security is a fast-growing industry beyond agriculture, but it's also extremely useful for farm management. Using drones to survey the boundaries of a farm without getting there saves valuable time and allows for more frequent monitoring of hard-to-reach areas. Drone cameras can provide a bird's-eye view of farming operations throughout the day to ensure operations run smoothly and locate equipment in use. Security drones can be deployed to monitor fences and perimeters of more valuable crops like cannabis, rather than employing more security personnel. Drone cameras are also being used in interesting ways to protect farm animals by locating lost or injured herd animals in remote grazing areas. Remote area monitoring, which previously required hours of walking, can now be done in minutes.
Drone Pollination- Smart Farming
What makes the drone so interesting is its ability to pollinate an apple orchard in less than ideal conditions for bees.
Some of the newer uses of drones in agriculture are still in the testing and development phase. One of the most publicized (and often fictionalized) uses is pollinator drone technology. Researchers in the Netherlands and Japan are developing small drones capable of pollinating plants without harming them.
The next step is to create autonomous pollination drones that operate and monitor crop health without constant instructions from operators.
Mapping/Surveying- Smart Farming
The process of using a drone to map or inspect crops is relatively simple. Many newer models of agricultural drones come equipped with flight planning software that allows the user to draw around the area they need to cover. The software then creates an automated flight path and, in some cases, even prepares shots.
As the drone flies, it automatically takes photos using the built-in sensors and built-in camera, and uses GPS to determine when to take each photo. But if your drone does not have these automatic features, one person must fly the drone while the other takes the photos.
AI Drone- Smart Farming
Another drone technology in development also involves machine learning. It is important to improve the artificial intelligence (AI) of drones to make them more useful to small farmers in developing countries. Current drone technologies are most effective for monitoring known crops like corn, which are planted in large monoculture schemes. Drone surveillance programs, as they currently stand, struggle to recognize areas with greater crop diversity, lesser-known products, and grains that look the same at all growth stages and are therefore less effective at monitoring. plant growth and health. cultures. Further work is needed to train AI systems to recognize less common crops and more diverse planting patterns.
Drone Irrigation- Smart Farming
As the need for more efficient water use grows, a drone that can track and monitor irrigation is essential. With thermal and conventional cameras, drones can see problems invisible to the naked eye.
Water availability and quality is what is a two-headed monster facing growers around the world, especially in the Pacific Northwest.
Irrigation technology continues to advance, but finding efficient and effective, and most importantly, cost-effective ways to keep potato plants properly irrigated is a never-ending problem.
With a drone, irrigation departments find it easier than ever to do all of this often enough to see it well from a distance.
Capable of hovering over large areas of land and zooming in for a closer look, drones offer farmers a new and unique way to view their fields and agricultural irrigation systems to ensure good growth and high seasonal yields with fewer surprises.
Why are Drones Becoming more and more Popular in Agriculture?
In addition to the data they can provide, drones have several additional advantages:
- They don't need oil, which pollutes the environment, but they rely on environmentally friendly electricity.
- They are considerably cheaper than helicopters and other capital-intensive machines. It is much easier to use them than other heavy machines.
What Future for Drones in Agriculture?- Smart Farming
The use of drones in agriculture is here to stay. As it stands today, the future of agriculture leans toward automation. Therefore, the demand for unmanned aerial vehicles will continue to increase.
It looks like drone technology will continue to develop and drones will become completely autonomous, without the need for humans on the ground.
Another trend that is expected to grow is the adoption of drones by small farmers.
Final Thoughts- Smart Farming
Drones are a powerful tool for farmers and agronomists to assess the health of their crops. Using drones, they can get an overview of their fields and collect data much faster and more efficiently than traditional methods. Drones will allow farmers to see how healthy their plants are, where they might need water or nutrients, and if there is pest activity before it gets out of hand.
The agriculture industry uses smart or precision farming methods to find innovative ways to increase yields, reduce costs, and improve crop health. Drones are a quick way to easily map fields without having to use manned aircraft or ground-based equipment like rovers and laser scanners, which are time-consuming and not very efficient. Drones are having a positive impact on agriculture and this trend is expected to continue as drone technology is increasingly used in the agricultural industry.
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