UAS Use in Agriculture

The agriculture industry is one that has always evolved to keep pace with modern technology.  Precision agriculture is the latest term that is now being used to define the farmers that are embracing various forms of technology to increase their crop yield.  The first wave of technological influence has been driverless tractors that have replaced manually operated versions.  Prior to tractors, farmers used horse-drawn machinery and before that manually operated tillers and other tools.  Farmers are now embracing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as the latest technological advancement to better understand crop health while collecting vital data.  Small drones will hover from plant to plant, dropping just enough fertilizer or spraying exactly the right amount of pesticide (Dobbs, 2013).  Although this technology would seem to hold great promise for farmers and agribusinesses alike, there is little evidence to support that its flight path is on course (Bedford, 2015).

Understanding the benefits of UAS in agriculture can be done through various means of collecting, analyzing, and verifying data.  With the launch of a project at the University’s Carrington Research Extension Center (CREC) in 2014, researchers evaluated the usefulness and effectiveness of UAS in crop and livestock management (Bedord, 2015).  The following objectives were identified during the study:

1.     Identify plant emergence and plant populations in corn, soybeans, and sunflower.

2.     Identify any nitrogen deficiencies in corn and wheat.

3.     Assess early plant health.

4.     Know disease symptoms.

5.     Look for insect damage symptoms.

6.     Monitor weed infestations.

7.     Notice moisture stress on irrigated crops.

8.     Note the impacts of tillage and crop rotations.

9.     Determine the breeding activity for herd sires and beef females.

10.  Take the temperature of animals and the feedlot surface temperatures of various beddings.

11.  Detect diseased beef animals in pastures.

12.  Identify animals with extreme dispositions.

(Beford, 2015)

All of these objectives identify areas of agriculture that can benefit from UAS technology.  While most of the results came back positive with noticeable benefit to UAS use some of the results are still outstanding or require additional technological development.  This sort of incremental technology has been well-received in the agricultural community, where margins are traditionally so tight that tractors which stray from their course by just six inches can noticeably cut into profits (Dobbs, 2013).

            As farming has evolved from manual machines, horse-drawn, tractor, automated tractor, and now UAS, the reduction in manual labor has drastically decreased.  However, this technology has yet to reach the mainstream.  These new tools, though promising, aren’t ready for widespread adoption. Most farms—faced with wide-ranging, expensive, and constantly changing arrays of options—have been slow to buy in or unable to take full advantage (Dobbs, 2013).  The future of farming is certain to look different compared to its early methods with the adoption and use of UAS. 
           

Bedord, L. (2015, December 18). 12 Potential Uses for UAS in Agriculture.  Successful Farming.  Retrieved from https://www.agriculture.com/technology/robotics/uas/12-potential-uses-f-uas-in-agriculture_587-ar51680.

Dobbs, T.  (2013, July 9).  Farms of the Future Will Run on Robots and Drones.  Nova Next.  Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/farming-with-robotics-automation-and-sensors/.