Every farmer doesn’t need to own and operate a drone for UAV technology to have a positive impact on their farm. That’s the message Scott Ditschun shares with farmers when he discusses how Bayer CropScience is employing drones in its agronomic and product research. He says UAV technology could effectively increase Bayer’s field research efficiency by… Read more »
Category: UAV
Spraying a pesticide with a drone is still not allowed in Canada
The idea of spraying with drones has gained interest as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become more common in farming over the past few years. In concept, UAV sprayers could identify and target weeds, and then apply herbicide autonomously in specific areas of a field. The technology for spraying with a drone is available and… Read more »
Corn School: Will drone sprayers fit your farm?
Is the clock ticking on the future of your ground sprayer? Could it eventually be replaced by a swarm of UAV sprayers that could better target weeds and deliver herbicide to exact locations in the field? These are questions we explore with AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School. Cowan recently… Read more »
Don’t forget about drone battery maintenance over winter
Drones are likely packed away for winter, but now is the time to take them out to perform battery maintenance. The chemistry inside lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries used to power most drones breaks down when kept at full or low charge levels for extended periods of time, reducing battery life and capacity. A battery that… Read more »
Corn School: Using your drone to make better management decisions
Recent advances in the availability and quality of satellite imagery is providing powerful in-season management insights for corn growers. Many growers feel it’s no longer necessary to fly their own drone to capture aerial images of their fields. They can simply rely on a growing number of agronomic services to scout their crop using drone… Read more »
What to do if you see a suspicious drone over your property
It can be a little disconcerting to see any unrecognized vehicle on your property, especially with regular reports of thefts from rural properties. People are looking beyond their roads and approaches, to the skies, where unknown, low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, can also cause apprehension. So what do we do if we see… Read more »
TechTour: More Than Photos — The Many Applications of the UAV
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 »
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 »