Simon Rose - Agricultural Drones

The high-tech cameras on agricultural drones can be useful for other jobs. In 2012 on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland, a fungus called Phytophthora ramorum had spread from rhododendrons to larch trees. Thousands of trees had to be cut down to try to stop the fungus from spreading further. Forest managers there had a great idea. They decided to use drones to monitor the situation.

Drones took photographs of the forests remote areas. Their cameras took close and detailed images of the trees and their leaves. These images helped forestry managers see when a tree was in the early stages of disease. The tree could then be cut down before the disease spread to other trees nearby.

The Kintyre peninsula is heavily forested.

People who fly any type of drone need to follow rules. Countries make their own rules about drone use, although not all countries have drone laws. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sets rules for drone use. The FAA currently limits drone flights to a height below 400 feet (122 meters). The operator must be able to see the drone at all times. Drone flights are not allowed within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of airports without permission.

In 2016 the FAA changed it rules for drones weighing under 55 pounds (25 kilograms) for business purposes such as farming. People no longer need to get a permit for business use of drones. But operators do need to be at least 16 years old, complete certification training, and follow all FAA rules. Those without training may still fly if they are supervised by someone who has completed training.

According to FAA rules, drones must operate in daylight. They can operate during twilight only if the drone has anticollision lights.

Although agricultural drones share some features, the costs.

Most agricultural drones have either fixed wings or image of a field.

A technician assembles a fixed-wing drone at agricultural drone manufacturer Agribotix in Boulder, Colorado.

fixed-wing drones. They can hover over certain parts of a field and fly closer to the ground than fixed-wing drones. They also need less room to take off and land.

Agricultural drones can carry different types of will give off more heat than plants that have enough water intake. Farmers can use this data to create a map of the field that shows areas of increased heat.

levels. Healthy plants reflect near-infrared light differently than unhealthy ones do. When a plant becomes dehydrated or sick, the plant doesnt reflect as much near-infrared light. The healthy plants then show up in a different color on the image than unhealthy plants.

RGB cameras capture images with very accurate colors. This helps farmers assess the health of plants by studying the color of their leaves.