Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs, are popping up on farms throughout the Midwest and recognized UAV advocate Chad Colby thinks their presence in agriculture will continue to grow. How will that affect farming in your area? Should you consider bringing UAVs onto your farm?

To help answer growers’ questions, inform them about UAVs and explain the effects they may have on crop production, Chad Colby with 360 Yield Center led an ILSoyAdvisor.com webinar on UAV technology.

Watch the webinar below for information on UAVs, how they might bring change to the industry, and ways they could help production on your farm.

Key Takeaways:

• Farmers make up less than two percent of the population, but they need to double food output by 2050. Growers are rising to the challenge to do more with less by adopting new technologies.
• The majority of UAVs in the United States will be in agriculture, and they’re estimated to generate $82 billion between 2015 and 2025.
• It’s important to understand the responsible, safe use of UAVs to keep the future open for increased use of the technology.
  • Only fly UAVs during the day
  • Don’t exceed speeds of 100 mph
  • UAVs should not weight more than 55 lbs.
  • Don’t fly UAVs over the maximum altitude of 500 feet—they must be visible by the operator at all times.
  • Operators must be at least 17 years old,  certified and vetted by the TSA
  • Growers can learn more from the Federal Aviation Administration at www.faa.gov/uas
• Benefits UAVs can bring to agriculture include:
  • Timely decision-making
  • Data collection
  • Closely monitoring plant and livestock health
  • Cost savings due to greater precision of inputs
  • Advanced imaging use is expanding in agriculture due to UAVs, with various camera lenses that give growers a better understand of what’s occurring in their fields.

For more information on UAVs from Chad Colby, visit his website www.AgTechTalk.net. For more information on how 360 Yield Center can help boost your soybean yields, visit www.360yieldcenter.com.