The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Field work aims to take drone use to higher level
Technology: Systems could become key tool for farmers
Drones are certainly no longer ‘new’ technology, nor are they new to agriculture by any means.
They regularly monitor land, map crops and can even be used for thermal imaging and soil and yield analysis – but they haven’t really been able to tackle any significant amount of medial farm labour, until now.
Akin to standing at the forefront of modern and precision farm technology, an agri-engineering team at Harper Adams University has launched a revolutionary project to investigate the viability of using drones to complete tasks in the field – from seeding to spraying.
The work is being carried out by the university’s engineering research team, which is focusing upon the practical application of drones as a precision farm implement.
These heavier duty drone systems can weigh up to and more than 20 kilograms – and are designed to operate just above crop level.
The university claims drones will become common appearance farm tools, carrying out important tasks that are not economically viable using conventional methods.
And, they will be especially beneficial to smaller farms, or in remote locations, where traditional equipment can perhaps not be used as readily.
“The next generation of drone systems able to carry our precision applications is developing rapidly,” said Jonathan Gill, of the National Centre for Precision Farming (NCPF), based at the university.
“Farmers will be able to exploit the capabilities of drone systems to access their fields more easily, and carry out crop management tasks more cost effectively.”
The engineering team has an established Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Special Interest Group, chaired by Mr Gill, who come together to develop and promote all aspects of UAS technology – to significantly increase the application of drone systems in agriculture.
However, UK legislation does not currently permit the ‘remote’ application of chemicals by a drone.
To overcome this hurdle, Mr Gill and colleague Debbie Heeks are working with organisations and agencies to determine ways to affect change to permit the wider use of drones in agriculture, with safety in mind at all times.
“We are looking at a number of factors which need to be addressed before legislation and drone technology is harmonised,” said Mr Gill.
During the latest Drones for Farming conference, which brings together farmers, agronomists, drone pilots and academics, a range of topics, including new drone rules and regulations affecting farmers, were also addressed.