Mike and I happened to be out in the fields when FS brought out their drone for an inspection. Drones are still a pretty new thing in agriculture, and not many companies are offering this kind of service yet.
The pilot for today’s flight is an aerospace engineering student from Iowa State, spending his summer interning with Evergreen FS. He called each flight a mission, which gave Mike and me a good chuckle.
A High-Tech Flyover
FS used a fixed-wing drone to make passes over two of our fields. I asked Julie from GROWMARK marketing to come out and take some photos and video, so if you spot any drone shots on social media, there’s a good chance they’re from one of these flights over our place.
The drone flew low, making 120-foot passes and covering about 10 acres a minute. This was just the first of several flyovers we’ll have this season.
What the Data Shows
The information we get from these flights goes way beyond just pictures from above. With this technology, we can:
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Identify the exact number of plants per acre.
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Track crop conditions as they progress throughout the season.
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Analyze patterns that help explain yield variation.
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Pinpoint possible causes and develop remedies.
Having this kind of insight helps us get a clearer picture of what’s really happening out in the fields, and hopefully, it’ll help us make better decisions as the season goes on.
Looking Ahead
It’s something to see how fast technology is changing the way we farm. Not that long ago, our grandparents were building seeders by hand in the barn. Now we’ve got drones flying over our fields, giving us real-time data on every acre.
We’ll keep sharing what we learn as these flights continue through the season, and we’re looking forward to seeing what new insights come our way.
—Joe
