Data-driven agriculture for the new generation of farmer
For centuries farmers have walked their fields monitoring the health of their crops. It is a time-consuming process. But this is changing.
Agriculture drones are becoming a key driver of innovation: Helping the new generation of farmers automate crop spraying and seeding, monitor and inspect crop growth and improve farming efficiency, leading to increased outputs and maximising productivity.
Specialist drones like the DJI Agras range can automate crop spraying and seed spreading, and data from drones like the DJI Phantom 4 RTK and Phantom 4 Multispectral can be used to extract soil characteristics - like temperatures, moisture, and elevation - which helps with accurate soil sampling.
On-demand and high-resolution drone data is perfect for capturing and accurately reporting events that lead to economic loss, like crop injury and reduced health.
Drones cover areas more quickly, offer real-time insights, are more precise than traditional methods, and are non-evasive to crops.
In a nutshell, drones provide vital data which helps farmers and growers monitor, plan and manage their farms more effectively - saving time and money in the process.
Covered in a working day with a drone
When using 3D field mapping and soil analysis with drones.
Could be saved by corn, soybean, and wheat farmers by using drones, says one study.
Is the predicted figure that the agricultural drone market will grow to by 2024.
The versatility of drones and their sophisticated sensors enables farmers to utilise the technology for a number of reasons. These include:
Agricultural drone spraying is becoming an increasingly popular application, helping to maintain crop health and yields.
Drones are being deployed for spraying for disease, weed, and pest control, as well as spreading pesticides and fertilisers.
Using drones for this application makes sense, offering a fully-automated, targeted and precise solution, and replacing labour-intensive, time-consuming, and potentially harmful use of backpack sprayers and other equipment.
This method is particularly useful in areas where the terrain is undulating, steep, or hard to access.
Deploying a drone is also a cheaper option than using crop dusters to spray fields too large for manual labour.
The DJI Agras is an industry-leading crop spraying drone. There are more than 40,000 active Agras on the market around the world.
Current regulations do not prevent drone spraying of pesticides in the UK, but the HSE needs to be satisfied that spraying can be done without causing harm to the environment or human health. The HSE accepts requests to permit the application of pesticides by drone. Visit here for more details.
DJI has launched a complete farming solution, from planning to operation, conducted entirely from drones and associated software.
This comprehensive package makes agricultural practices more efficient by combining a range of drones, such as the DJI Agras series, the DJI Phantom 4 RTK, and the DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral.
DJI Terra - a drone mapping software package - can also be utilised in this DJI farming ecosystem to produce agricultural maps from the collected drone data and generate targeted flight paths.
The information below - within the orange bar titled Farming Drone Workflows - shows how multiple DJI platforms can be brought together to provide an end-to-end precision agriculture package.
Drones are more efficient and more effective for farming than manual methods. But how do they compare to satellites?
In truth, both have their advantages, and come down to the specific application.
However, there are certain times when drones have the advantage.
Take cloud cover, for example. Satellite imagery can be severely affected by cloud cover, limiting what can be seen. A drone, on the other hand, can fly closer to the earth, below the cover of cloud, to obtain the data you need.
There's also the issue of satellites flying around the earth within a certain time. If you want immediate data capture, it can be best to deploy a drone.
Because drones can fly closer to the ground, they can collect extremely precise data, taking shots to distinguish a weed or a crop, or show each particular plant. Because of its distance from the earth, a satellite can't capture that level of detail.
However, if high-precision is not a priority, then satellites can have the advantage, especially over big farms where they can cover a larger area.
Thanks to their wide scope, the collected image is complete, eliminating the need for image stitching. In contrast, because drone shots capture smaller areas, image stitching is needed following drone flights.
Another advantage of using satellites is that their records go further back. Thanks to this archive data, you can time travel and build a longer picture of your farm.
But, while the drones versus satellite question is valid, it doesn't always have to be a choice between the two. Rather, using them together can be extremely useful, spotting an initial problem through a satellite and then deploying a drone to hone in on the issue and tackle it precisely and quickly.
