Drones have made headlines globally for more than a decade, but their value to society still isn't fully understood. However, drone usage in the agriculture industry is soaring, drastically increasing operational efficiency for farmers around the world. Let's examine the beneficial ways drone technology is impacting smart agriculture.
Use of Drones in Agriculture
Drones are currently used in two standard agricultural applications — tracking and distribution.
• Tracking (and subsequent analysis) is used in both plant and livestock agriculture and helps farmers understand the status, resources, and productivity of their farms.
• Distribution using drones involves physically moving resources across a farm, including spreading agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizer.
Agricultural Drone Benefits
Data Visualization and Smart Agriculture Processing
Companies worldwide utilize intelligent drones and smart agriculture-specialized algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data in seconds. This data enables farmers to see how their crops are performing. In one instance, farmer Brent Gerke used drone technology from DroneDeploy to obtain a 'bird's-eye' view of his farm to pinpoint the exact location of a large rust fungus in his wheat crop in minutes. So, how did he do it?
When you think of a healthy plant, it's likely green and colorful. This indicates the plant's overall vigor and status. Based on the condition of a plant, specific frequencies of light get reflected, and a distinct spectrum of colors is presented. Put simply, a thriving yellow tulip will reflect a rich green from its stem and leaves and a vibrant yellow from its petals. In addition, colors outside our visible spectrum of sight are also reflected, such as near-infrared colors. This presented color spectrum holds a significant amount of information about the plant and can be used to determine the overall health of entire crop fields.
When Brent Gerke used a drone to analyze his crops, he noticed varying levels of reflected light and a distinct spectrum that specific sections of his farm displayed, which indicated different levels of plant health across the land. Upon realizing that multiple areas 'looked' unhealthy from a spectrum analysis point of view, Gerke set out to visually inspect his wheat. He quickly discovered rust fungus in the visually unhealthy sections, which prompted him to use a specialized fungicide to return his plants to their expected vigor. Without the use of drone and camera technology, Gerke may have never detected the origin of the rust fungus until it had caused irreparable damage to his entire crop.
Beyond the Fieldwork: Crop Health Analysis
Ultimately, the technology Gerke utilized on his farm can be applied to a multitude of agricultural scenarios that will help him to be more productive in the future. Drone technology can help detect pests, irrigation issues, fungus and weed presence, disease impact, and even soil and fertilizer problems. While there have been many methods of identifying these agricultural issues long before the advent of drones, the time required to inspect an entire field on foot manually can be nonproductive and costly. Drone and data visualization technology enable farmers like Gerke to decrease the man-hours needed to inspect and detect crop issues, which allows them to respond to the problems on their farms effectively.
It's easy to detect specific pest and weed infestations, as each has a unique spectrum identifier and will visually stick out when compared to the majority of the crops. This data analysis and documentation give farmers a map of infestation locations so they can focus their efforts. The same holds true for irrigation issues, which cause stress on entire sections of a farm that receive too much water, or not enough. If farmers notice large areas of pooled water or overly dry soil in certain sections of their farm, they can address the situation immediately and alter their watering patterns.
Agriculture Drone for Spraying Fertilizer and Pesticides
Pinpointed Agriculture Chemistry with Drones and AI
Several drone technologies have made it possible to quickly, accurately, and effectively distribute spray fertilizers and pesticides. Industrial-grade drones such as DJI's Agras T16 distribute pesticides with extreme accuracy and efficiency, which ultimately decreases the amount of time it takes to spray a field properly. For example, the Agras T16 covers nearly 25 acres of farmland per hour, significantly outpacing the typical farmer on foot, who can only cover around two acres in a day.
Spraying crops using a drone is more complex than you may think. There are critical factors you must consider:
- Fight path planning can significantly increase the efficiency of spraying and flight time. For instance, flying a drone in a way that changes inertia frequently, such as making short, fast movements and turns, can be detrimental to the battery's flight life.
- The drone's height directly influences the spray pattern's geometry and the subsequent effectiveness of the chemicals that get distributed. If the drone is too high, the fertilizer or pesticide may not reach all plants within the spray zone. If the drone is too low, the chemicals may be too concentrated, which negatively impacts the crops. Sensors such as LiDAR or radar are often used to verify flight height and for object avoidance.
- Flight time and chemical capacity are directly related and can influence the effectiveness of a smart agriculture drone. While some drones may be able to support heavy payloads, their overall flight time may be shortened. The Agras T16, for example, has a higher payload capacity of 16 fluid liters.
- Drone hardware and smart agriculture technology are fused and optimized to reach their full potential. For instance, DJI software allows for three-dimensional scanning of an orchard via a small Nibbler drone, which identifies trees, barren landmasses, altitude changes, and other factors to understand the full landscape. Then, using specially designed software and AI analysis, optimized flight paths and spray patterns are designed to efficiently distribute fertilizer and pesticides across a hilly orchard, which dramatically increases productivity.
How to Use Drones in Agriculture
Drones are revolutionizing the way farmers conduct their day-to-day operations. Tracking the routine activities of crop health and unwanted pests give farmers a competitive edge and increased reactivity at a never-before-seen rate. Drones have also made distributing agricultural chemicals more streamlined and efficient, allowing farmers to be more accurate and productive in their spraying efforts. As smart agriculture evolves, drones will continue to create innovative solutions for streamlining the farming and livestock industry. For more on technology in agriculture, check out our article on how IoT communication is enhancing smart farming even more.