Drone technology is changing the way that a vast number of industries operate. One sector of the economy embracing drone technology in a big way is the agricultural field. Unmanned aerial vehicles have several applications that make farming more efficient and productive.
Data Gathering and Surveying
Drones can be used to quickly map out an expansive area with imagery from a bird’s-eye perspective that takes the guesswork out of planning out your agricultural layout. By having the correct information at your disposal, you’ll be able to make informed choices about how to plan your crops.
While basic imaging from a drone already provides you with more information than you might have otherwise, additional surveying tools can give you even more insight into the land you have to work with. For example, drones can create a thermal map of an area that assists you with monitoring crops more closely over an extended period of time.
Detecting Malnourishment or Drought
Advanced equipment allows a drone to provide you with even more utility. Normalized difference vegetation index (or NDVI) mapping is one drone technology that has changed the way farmers interact with their crops. By detecting signs of a problem with a crop up to two years earlier than they might show physically, farmers are able to better predict crop output.
Drones can also be used to monitor irrigation systems on your farm. That will allow you to find the optimal ways to distribute water across your fields, maximizing your use of available resources..
Spraying Crops over Wide Areas
Spraying crops from above is not a new concept in agriculture. However, in the past, such operations involved the use of manned aircraft that added a steep expense to a farmer’s budget. Drones have changed that equation for the better.
Unmanned drones provide a more cost-effective way to distribute fertilizer, herbicide, pesticide, and fungicide over a broad area of crops. Using drone technology, you’ll be able to give your crops the protection they need and prevent a costly insect, pest, or fungus infestation from occurring while also providing plants with the nutrients that they need to thrive.
Agriculture Drones for Planting
As well as taking care of your existing crops, drones can also be used to distribute seed over a given area quickly and effectively. Drones equipped to handle the correct payload can integrate with devices capable of shooting seed packages with enough force to penetrate into the soil at an adequate depth. This provides a more cost-effective method of planting your crops.
Even with all of these amazing benefits already impacting the agricultural field, we’re still in the early days of this transformative technology. New advances in drone capabilities will open up new possibilities for those in the agricultural field, revolutionizing this industry in ways that we never thought possible before. Check out xCraft to stay informed about the cutting-edge world of drones!
