In tough economic times with increasing extreme weather events and stiff competition from overseas, South African farmers need to leverage every opportunity to maximise area use. When considering new strategies, utilizing drones for your business is worth exploring. Utilizing drones for your business can be a strategic advantage, and that’s where this advanced technology make the difference.
James Godden, Head of Aviation at Santam, says: “The use of drones has become increasingly widespread, especially in the agricultural industry. It is a growing trend, although in its infancy in South Africa, for farmers to integrate the use of drones to assist with crop management, production, and fighting the effects of climate change. Utilizing Drones for your Business provides new efficiencies for modern farmers.”
“Farmers are constantly looking at new ways to gather data, automate outdated processes and maximise efficiency in their cultivation methods. For this reason, Utilizing Drones for your Business is becoming an important part of agricultural innovation.”
What are the agricultural benefits of drone use?
They’re time- and cost-efficient. Godden explains that formerly, farmers were reliant on costly vehicles like helicopters or aircrafts. Drones provide a cheaper alternative, which makes them a pivotal part of modern farming techniques, especially for those considering utilizing drones for business opportunities in the agricultural sector.
By watching trends and developments closely, Godden shares top uses of aerial and ground-based drones throughout the crop cycle. Moreover, utilizing drones for your business often means you can adapt quicker to these trends.
Soil and field analysis:
Precise 3D maps for early soil analysis can be produced by drones. This is useful in the initial planning of seed planting patterns. Additionally, the technique aids in performing in-depth analyses on produce and establishes which areas are more fertile than others, enabling better crop management and irrigation. In fact, utilizing drones for your business gives you advanced options for irrigation and nitrogen-level management after planting.
Crop monitoring and irrigation:
Drones are most commonly used for crop monitoring in the agriculture space currently. Farmers employ drones to take photographic and video footage to determine how produce is growing in different parts of the land—which is another avenue for utilizing drones within your business.
Crop spraying:
As the topography and geography vary across every terrain, it is important to avoid collisions. Distance-measuring equipment enables a drone to adjust to a specific altitude and as a result, it can scan the ground and spray the correct amount of liquid, thus managing its distance from the ground for consistent coverage. Indeed, utilizing drones for your business can result in far more consistent spray coverage and less waste.
Drones also fly a lot lower and thereby disperse insecticide more effectively, without the risk of it spreading outside the intended areas. So, as a business owner, utilizing drones can help control insecticides with greater precision.
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