Tennessee Adds UAVs to Its High-Tech Toolbox
In partnership with: Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Technology and innovation in Tennessee’s agriculture and forestry industries have taken flight – quite literally when it comes to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones. Recently, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) procured seven UAVs that are designed for commercial and industrial use.
“They are more sophisticated than your typical hobby drone,” says Cody Barrett, forest data program specialist with the TDA Division of Forestry.
See more: How Drones are Improving Farming Operations
Bird’s Eye View
Barrett says that the scope of the drone program within the Division of Forestry is a bit limited since it’s just getting started, but that across the country, drones are being deployed in many different aspects of agriculture. For example, drones are used for precision spraying and irrigation, and a farmer might find that a specific section of crops isn’t getting enough nutrients through drone time-lapse photography. They can also be used for security, monitoring plant health, seeing field conditions and much more.
For TDA’s Division of Forestry, the UAVs are being used for purposes such as wildfire suppression, natural disaster response, and monitoring forest health and forestry operations.
“Two of the UAVs in our fleet are equipped with infrared sensors, which means they can ‘see’ heat,” Barrett says. “This is useful where wildfire suppression is concerned, allowing UAV pilots to get a better view of a wildfire, especially in a dense forest or at night.”
See more: High-Tech Tools Help Farmers Produce More With Less
Barrett adds that outside of fires, drones can provide photos with a bird’s-eye view of forests, allowing Barrett and his team to survey the extent of damage to forests from natural disasters, disease or insects.
“The photos can also be used to make maps, which are always useful for writing better management plans and getting a handle on your natural resources,” he says.
UAVs in the Skies
Rachel Greene, data and analysis unit leader for TDA’s Division of Forestry, says one of the coolest aspects of forestry-related drone technology is the use of drones to assist in fire management through aerial ignition.
“A drone drops ping-pong balls of highly combustible material that ignite upon impact with the ground or vegetation,” she says. “This is useful for igniting prescribed fires, when large swaths of forest will be managed with fire under carefully controlled conditions. It’s also a tool to fight wildfire. Areas that have already burned don’t burn again, so the technique can stop the advance of a flaming wildfire front.”
Needless to say, UAVs will continue to be an important tool in Tennessee’s forestry arsenal.
See more: Drones are Farming of the Future
Drones are used for various purposes on farms including:
Scouting/monitoring plant health
Monitoring field conditions
Planting and seeding
Spray application
Security
Newer uses for drones that are still in development include:
Drone pollination
Drone artificial intelligence
Drone irrigation
Source: Croptracker