A growing number of crop farmers are using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) or drones to map their crops and properties. The result is timely and accurate data collection, which can pay huge dividends in a farmer’s financial bottom-line.
Drone mapping is building momentum as the new buzzword in precision agriculture or ‘smart farming’.
Drone mapping uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to assess crop health through infrared mapping, effectively removing the guesswork when it comes to vermin control and crop management.
Where satellite and plane surveying allows mapping using the Normalised Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) within metres, drone mapping returns measurements within centimetres.
And where results from a satellite might take two weeks to be returned to the farmer, data collection from a drone is immediate.
“Drone mapping effectively offers a cheap and timely early warning system for farmers, so they can make informed decisions about crop management with confidence,” said Leighton Pearce, the CEO of Growing Solutions, based in Loveday, South Australia.
Leighton has been flying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones in agricultural settings for more than two years and uses the technology to help farmers map their properties.
“Using a UAV and the Normalised Differential Vegetation Index we can measure the health of a crop by the amount of chlorophyll that’s moving through the plant.
An NDVI camera records this and we can then make management decisions with the farmer around nitrogen and water etc.”, Leighton said.
“Attaching a thermal camera to a UAV allows us to go a step further and undertake a detailed crop assessment, based on extreme heat or cold events.”
Leighton said while it was still early days in their use, broadacre farmers were increasingly experimenting with UAV technology.
“Most farmers are using drones simply to assess and monitor general crop health, while a select few are taking it a step further, mounting cameras to their drone to assess differences in the greenness of their crops.
“The bigger corporations are using UAV technology to check silos and monitor vermin activity.”
However, Leighton said the average farmer was still likely to use drones more for maintenance and work safety on the farm.
“They’re great for checking infrastructure, guttering on sheds, and solar panels. Rather than climbing ladders, farmers are using drones as their ‘eyes’.”
Emerging technologies
Leighton said drones were just one of a number of emerging technologies he was using at Growing Solutions.
“We’ve also been doing a bit of work with time lapse cameras, and monitoring crops over the period of a year to really see what’s happening.
“And I’m also getting excited about the potential use of wearable devices, such as the Apple Watch – particularly from a health and safety point of view.
“Farmers are often isolated and working alone, and I see a future in monitoring their health through such devices. For example, if a farmer has a heart attack – which can be monitored and detected through an App on the Apple Watch, a phone call will immediately be made to Triple 0 and another one to his wife or partner.”
The Apple Watch can also be used simply as a mobile phone in the field.
“Even if the farmer’s phone is trapped or locked in the tractor, or they are trapped under the tractor and can’t reach it, they will still be able to phone for help through their Apple Watch.”
Which drone is best?
The million dollar question is, which drone should you buy?
Leighton said there are a wealth of options on the marketplace, but he recommends farmers look beyond the cheapest options.
“Often the cheaper models are unstable and the farmer will soon tire of using them,” he said.
“I’d recommend a drone called The Phantom, which retails for around $1500. It’s a good entry-level drone and features a quality camera. And as the farmer becomes more proficient in its use, attachments can be purchased to increase its use and value to the farmer.”
Drones – know the rules
01. You must fly only during the day and keep your drone within visual line of sight.
02. You must not fly your drone higher than 120 metres (400 feet) above ground level.
03. You must keep your drone at least 30 metres away from other people.
05. You must keep your drone at least 5.5 km away from controlled aerodromes. Flying within 5.5 km of a non-controlled aerodrome or helicopter landing site is possible, but only if no manned aircraft are operating to or from the aerodrome.
06. You must not fly your drone over populous areas.
07. You must not fly your drone over or near an area affecting public safety or where emergency operations are under way (without prior approval)
08. You can only fly one drone at a time
Flying over your own land
As part of the amendments to Part 101 that came into effect on 29 September 2016, CASA has created an excluded category of remotely piloted aircraft, allowing some commercial-like operations to be carried out on land owned or occupied by the owner of the drone with:
Small drones (2-25kg), without needing a RPA operator’s certificate (ReOC) or a remote pilot licence (RePL)
Medium drones (25-150kg) provided they, or the remote pilot, hold a RePL.
This is provided they only operate over land that is owned or lawfully occupied by the person who owns the drone, follow the standard operating conditions and none of the parties involved receives remuneration for that work.
For more information, go to https://www.casa.gov.au/drones
Source: Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASA) Part 101 and droneflyer.com.au