Connecting Drone Pilots with Farmers to Boost Agriculture

The team at Drone Digital recently published an article on the increasing use of drones in agriculture and the rising demand for qualified drone pilots. They also unveiled a new online platform that connects farmers with pilots in their area, to help them find the right professionals for their project requirements.

“The Crop Science Society of America perfectly encapsulates the foremost contribution of drones to agriculture when they quote Tennessee State Professor Jason de Koff saying; “The easiest advantage of drones is that they can be a huge time saver.” De Koff explains further. “Rather than going out and scouting fields on foot or by truck, they can scout them with a drone in a lot less time and pinpoint specific areas that they might want to visit for closer inspection.”

“Ideas have been proposed of drones working in organized swarms to fulfil detailed functions in sustaining crops. These could include coordinated networks for detailed fertilizer or crop spraying. Another issue is bees, which are crucial in the life-cycle of crops. As the bee population becomes more sparse, drones are envisaged as a means to replicate the delicate act of pollination.

“The current surge of energy in the drone industry has prompted an increase in jobs for experienced drone pilots which is only set to rise. Using fully compliant drone pilots registered with relevant civil aviation authorities ensures farmers are working with professionals, experienced in the demands and challenges of agricultural mapping and surveying, and with a working knowledge of the latest agritech developments.”

Thanks to CDR David Place (USN/Ret), davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com, and Robin E. Alexander, President ATC, alexander technical[at]gmail[dot]com, for their assistance with this report, the background for which appeared in their  # 21 - 22 - 31 AUGUST 2021 edition of the UNMANNED SYSTEMS NEWS (USN).

David distributes the USN, a free, comprehensive newsletter in PDF format every week or two, as well as serial news flashes, from which this NREF news update was sourced. To be included in his distribution, simply send David a subscribe request to davidplace47[at]gmail[dot]com.