Using Drone Technology in Agriculture

The Frontier Extension District and Coffey County Extension Office, along with the Anderson and Coffey County Conservation Districts, will host a meeting on Sept. 10, 2024, to explore the agricultural uses of drones. The meeting will be held at the Garnett Community Building, North Lake Road, Garnett, KS; it will begin at 10 a.m. and last through the afternoon when there will be drone flight demonstrations. To attend, RSVP to the Frontier Extension District Garnett office by calling 785.448.6826 or by emailing Ryan Schaub at [email protected].

Lunch will be provided to registered attendees.

Agricultural producers continually look for new ways to increase yields and maximize productivity, and one tool receiving significant attention is the drone. Drone use in agriculture already allows farmers and ranchers to monitor crops and livestock and make decisions based on this gathered knowledge, and use of the technology is expected to continue to expand.

The following expert speakers will cover a broad range of pertinent topics during the meeting.

Spencer Schrader is the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) flight operations manager at K-State Salina; this UAS program is a national leader in the uncrewed aircraft field. Schrader will discuss the state of the industry involving drones, including flying regulations, types of drones and their applications, current and future uses of drones, drone accessories, and making aerial applications with a drone.

Jaymelynn Farney, Kansas State Research and Extension Beef Systems Specialist, will present her research that uses drones to measure pasture biomass.

Trevor Witt, owner of Kairos Geospatial, will explore the practical applications of drone remote sensing for natural resource conservation. Witt’s company was the first private entity to offer commercial UAS services legally in Kansas.

Kelly Navinsky-Wenzel, program manager for the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide and Fertilizer Division, will discuss KDA’s role when drones are used to apply herbicides.

Haley Larson is a professor in animal health and nutrition at K-State Olathe and the author of book chapters on emerging technologies to improve the global food supply and cattle management in both the 2022 book Space Systems: Emerging Technologies and Operations and the 2024 book Advanced Technologies for Humanity. Larson will discuss her research that has made use of drones in feedyards.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) were first released to the public for civilian use in 1983. Since then, GPS and other technologies have led to many farming changes, including combine yield monitors (1992), farm variable rate technology (1993), tractor guidance systems (1997) and boom controls (2006).

Now, drones are being used to scout and monitor plant health/pests, soil moisture and nitrogen levels. They are also being used to plant and seed crops, make spray applications, monitor cattle movement and health, observe watering sites for livestock, provide farm security and more.