christopher.shiny
Member
Smarter Machines for Smarter Farms
Sometimes called “precision agriculture,” smart farming is based on the incorporation of advanced technology in the management of crops and livestock to increase output without compromising quality — a tall order that’ll be tough to achieve from a financial perspective in the long term.
The need to maintain that balance between cost and quality has made drones particularly attractive to smart farming tech developers. Drones are relatively affordable and don’t require a whole lot of training to pilot. Plus, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are strong enough to carry the kinds of remote sensing technology that, in the past, required satellite connectivity or the use of full-size, manned aircraft.
Spraying That’s Better in Every Way
No one likes the idea of chemical spraying, but, for the time being, it’s a necessary part of large-scale agriculture. Fortunately, smart farming drones are helping reduce its environmental impact. These specialized UAVs are equipped with sprayers, but also with various kinds of technology, like ultrasonic echoing devices and lasers, which can measure distance with extreme precision. The result is a massive reduction in overall spray and a much lower chemical level reaching the groundwater. And, of course, being that they’re drones, they can complete a spraying job about five-times faster than old-school methods.
Crop Planting Optimized for Efficiency
A new drone-based planting system recently reported on by MIT is probably my favorite of the latest smart farming drone applications. Not only does the method have the potential to decrease planting costs by close to 85%, it accomplishes this by launching specialized seed- and nutrient-filled pods into the soil below (so very sci-fi). Also, many farmers are now using drones fitted with 3-D mapping equipment capable of going out and bringing back soil and field analysis data to streamline planning and planting patterns and to help optimize field irrigation and soil nitrogen levels throughout the crop cycle.
Sometimes called “precision agriculture,” smart farming is based on the incorporation of advanced technology in the management of crops and livestock to increase output without compromising quality — a tall order that’ll be tough to achieve from a financial perspective in the long term.
The need to maintain that balance between cost and quality has made drones particularly attractive to smart farming tech developers. Drones are relatively affordable and don’t require a whole lot of training to pilot. Plus, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are strong enough to carry the kinds of remote sensing technology that, in the past, required satellite connectivity or the use of full-size, manned aircraft.
Spraying That’s Better in Every Way
No one likes the idea of chemical spraying, but, for the time being, it’s a necessary part of large-scale agriculture. Fortunately, smart farming drones are helping reduce its environmental impact. These specialized UAVs are equipped with sprayers, but also with various kinds of technology, like ultrasonic echoing devices and lasers, which can measure distance with extreme precision. The result is a massive reduction in overall spray and a much lower chemical level reaching the groundwater. And, of course, being that they’re drones, they can complete a spraying job about five-times faster than old-school methods.
Crop Planting Optimized for Efficiency
A new drone-based planting system recently reported on by MIT is probably my favorite of the latest smart farming drone applications. Not only does the method have the potential to decrease planting costs by close to 85%, it accomplishes this by launching specialized seed- and nutrient-filled pods into the soil below (so very sci-fi). Also, many farmers are now using drones fitted with 3-D mapping equipment capable of going out and bringing back soil and field analysis data to streamline planning and planting patterns and to help optimize field irrigation and soil nitrogen levels throughout the crop cycle.