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Drones prove to be very effective tools for fruit farmers
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Drones prove to be very effective tools for fruit farmers

January 9, 2020

Photo of an apple orchard from above. Walsh’s research found that scans from UAVs could collect data to help farmers with water, fertilizer and other decisions. Credit: Olga Walsh

Article Highlights
  • Farmers use drones to be more efficient. Drones help farmers improve yields and stay ahead of problems before they become too big.
  • “Adoption and use of crop sensors in production agriculture saves thousands of dollars every year in many crops,” says Walsh. “Crop sensors also help to significantly improve the efficiency of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and water. Finally, drones can minimize negative impacts of agricultural activities on environmental quality.”
  • The most promising ways the drones could be employed for the orchards and tree nurseries are: - taking inventory of tree height and canopy volume; - monitoring tree health and quality; - managing water, nutrients, pests and disease in-season; - estimating fruit/nut production and yield; and, - creating marketing tools (videos for promotion of the orchard, or sale of trees and fruit)
  • “The UAV systems allow scanning the crops from above. They obtain high quality images and high-resolution spectral data. This is correlated with plant growth, health, water and nutrient status, and can be used to estimate biomass production.” All are indicators of potential yield.
  • It’s not just about the speed of scouting a field. “Sensors can function within regions of the electromagnetic spectrum where human eyes can’t,” says Walsh. “Sensors are much more reliable and objective than visual assessment. They provide quantitative information (numeric data that can be measured and compared) versus qualitative information (descriptive data that can be observed).
The Complete Story: Drones effective tools for fruit farmers

University of Idaho

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Go deeper with Bing News on:
Drones for farming
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Go deeper with Bing News on:
Crop sensors
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
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