Pretty field pictures and awesome harvest videos aside, drones, or UAVs, are proving their worth on the farm through field scouting and development of management zones for precision farming applications. But there are many that see drones as an overblown camera or a fun toy, not fully recognizing the present usefulness and future potential of the… Read more »
Category: UAV
Do You Need a Commercial License for that Drone?
Recently, the federal government released “emergency” rules regarding recreational use of drones (UAVs), significantly restricting where and when drones could be used. Citing a 200% increase in commercial flight incidents with drones in just two years, the transport minister says the new rules begin immediately, with fines of up to $3,000 for violations. Commercial drone pilots already… Read more »
Transport Minister Unveils New Recreational Drone Rules
New rules for the recreational use of drones in Canada were announced by Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Thursday. The number of incidents involving recreational drones has more than tripled since 2014, according to Transport Canada. The changes immediately apply to model aircraft and drones that weigh between 250g and 35kg. “I take very seriously the… Read more »
AccuTurn Makes Headland Turning Hands-Free
Case IH wants to help farmers take the guesswork out of turning on headlands. The company says tractor operators can now use its new AccuTurn automatic headland turning technology to navigate hands-free, automatic, repeatable turns for increased productivity and reduced operator fatigue. Case IH unveiled the Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) auto guidance technology last week… Read more »
Digital Farming — What Role Does Bayer Plan on Having?
Farmers and ranchers have always been interested in technology, especially if it enhances profitability. The rate of change of products and services coming to market is extremely fast. Silicon Valley and traditional agriculture businesses such as John Deere and Bayer are all trying to establish their footholds in the future of digital farming. At the… Read more »
Planet Provides On Demand Satellite Imagery For Precision Farmers
Will drones or satellites be the way for precision agriculture in the future? Right now it looks like both have a place but debate exists whether that be the case in the future. Planet plans to have a say in how satellites could become the dominant player in imagery for farmers around the world. At… Read more »
Virtual Reality Crop Scouting Coming to a Field Near You
Virtual reality technology is making it possible to get a close look at a crop without having to set foot in the field. Someday you might not even have to leave the farmyard or office. Using a 360-degree camera mounted on a quadcopter drone and an off-the-shelf virtual reality headset to hold a smartphone, Matt Johnson… Read more »
Drone Giant DJI Bringing a Spraying Drone to North America
Chinese drone manufacturer DJI is introducing a spraying model to North America, as it foresees a day when farmers use swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to control weeds, diseases and other pests. The Agras MG-1 is an octocopter capable of carrying 2.5 gallons and covering 7 to 10 acres per hour, explains DJI’s Jan… Read more »
Going Beyond the RGB Camera on Your Drone
Many farms have bought basic drones capable of taking high resolution pictures from the sky over the last year or two. For $2,000 or less, you can buy a decent quadcopter with a regular RGB colour camera. But the RGB camera is just the beginning when it comes to collecting data with a drone, explains Matt Johnson of… Read more »
Turning Drone Imagery Into Usable Information
Many farms have purchased entry level drones over the last few years with the aim of using them to make more informed crop management decisions (okay, and maybe also to take some nice farm yard photos and epic Facebook videos of machinery in action). But as Brunel Sabourin of Antara Agronomy explains in this video,… Read more »
Farmers Edge Partners With Green Aero Tech on Drone Imagery
Farmers Edge has chosen its partner for expanding what it has to offer farmers in the world of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs.) The multinational precision agriculture and data firm has announced a deal with drone systems provider Green Aero Tech to integrate drone imagery into its farm management platform. “In combining Farmers Edge Precision… Read more »
Transport Canada Elevating Enforcement of Drone Rules
Transport Canada has launched a new drone safety campaign, while at the same time working on simplifying regulations to focus on minimizing the risks with unmanned aerial vehicles. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transportation, was joined by representatives from law enforcement and the aviation industry at the Ottawa Airport on Monday to unveil the initiative —… Read more »
Crop Connect ’16: Easier, Cheaper & Safer — Drones Coming of Age in Ag
As drones have gained mainstream popularity over the last year or two, they’ve become easier to fly, cheaper and safer than ever before, making them more practical and obtainable for use in agriculture. “The technology is so refined, a lot of producers now are starting to see the benefits,” says UAV specialist and pilot Chad Colby of Colby… Read more »
DJI Launches Phantom 4 Drone
If you ask a farmer or agronomist using a drone for field scouting or other imagery-related applications what type of unit they use, chances are it’s a DJI Phantom. There are many drone manufacturers out there, but the Chinese company has a majority market share, particularly in the market for beginner units. The latest model in DJI’s… Read more »
Do-It-Yourself: Making a Driverless Grain Cart Tractor
Advancements in farm technology often come from major investments in research and development by large companies, but there are still cases where farmer ingenuity is part of developing something new. Matt Reimer, a young farmer from Killarney, Manitoba, has received plenty of attention after posting videos on YouTube last summer of his work automating a John Deere… Read more »