Since commercial drone use became widespread, it became significantly popular in agriculture. Drones improve many aspects of it, from crop monitoring to soil assessment.
Because of this, even a simple drone plane with camera attachments can fill out labor gaps. It also gives farmers the ability to gather and review data more efficiently, making their farms more efficient.
If you’re thinking about using a drone, now is a great time to invest in one. While it comes with a steep learning curve, the controls should be intuitive after a short time. After that, it comes down to optimizing it for your farm.
Using Drones to Monitor Your Farm
Here are four points you must know when using a farming drone for your crops:
1. Keep a Concrete Goal in Mind when Deploying a Drone
A farming drone has a wide range of applications, such as:
- Crop monitoring and protection – Careful inspection of crops during the growing season and protecting their health can ensure productivity and yield.
- Soil Assessment – In farming, soil assessment focuses on matching crops’ growing requirements with the soil’s properties.
- Irrigation and Drainage Monitoring – Farmland requires the right amount of irrigation, and a means to drain excess water.
- Pesticide and Fertilizer Spraying – Crop spraying drones can carry containers of pesticides and fertilizers and spray them with the help of an attachment.
- Seeding and Harvest Planning – Methodical seeding and planning allow farmers to be at their most efficient and ensure high yields.
When deploying an agriculture drone, it’s always best to know what you want to use it for. Having a specific process in mind that you want to automate can go a long way.
2. Consider the Hardware and Attachments You Want
It’s important to keep specific tasks in mind when choosing a drone because they also determine the hardware.
For instance, you might want extra attachments for spraying and seeding. You might also want infrared cameras for crop health monitoring or extra batteries you can swap to minimize recharge time.
3. Consider the Software to Supplement the Hardware
Any drone for spraying crops or assessing soil quality isn’t complete without the right software.
The standard for most drones includes navigation and flight management, mapping, and image processing software. However, you might also need large data storage for images and 3D maps.
4. Check Your State or Country’s Laws on Drone Use
Individuals with drones and agricultural drone services alike need to check in with their state or country’s laws.
Remember that these may vary depending on where you live and the type of drones you can legally use. The good news is most smart drones today come with security instructions, so be sure to study them before flying.
Must Read: The Link Between Commercial Drones and Environmental Monitoring
The Takeaway
Drone technology has improved vastly and quickly, and more farmers have embraced it.
Today, many farmers are now more productive with the help of drones. They automate many tasks and can monitor crops faster and better, and can even help with spraying and seeding crops. There are many reasons to use them, and they will only become more popular.
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