AGRICULTURE: DRONES GIVE GROWERS A TACTICAL ADVANTAGE

By Ronda Payne

Having a bird’s eye view of farm, orchard or field has always been of value to farmers and when drones came on the scene, the novelty of using them to provide helpful photos led to many landholders having pictures of their property from the sky.

Recently, however, the concept of flying drones over farmland became more tactical.

Identifying tree lines, water courses and other factors from airplanes was possible but expensive and somewhat limited in the information that could be obtained. As technology has advanced, using drones became affordable and easy and multiple tools can work in tandem with them to deliver greater information, but how can this new opportunity better support agriculture?

Todd Letourneau, owner of Geosurv Solutions in Salmon Arm, had the same question. With more than 20 years in the field of surveying and mapping, he knew drones could make a positive impact on the work he does; as well as to the results for those in agriculture.

“We’re just moving into the drone space,” he says of his business. “It can take a little while for people to appreciate what this can do for them.”

He has helped landowners find ideal placement for various crops, tracked frost and air movement and determined flow of water, but it was all done by foot, on the land. Now, looking to mesh that expertise with his skills around sky-based tech, he’s doing more for Thompson-Okanagan region growers. It began with his relationships through BCIT and the programs that have helped him advance his skills.

Together with Eric Saczuk, head of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) operations with BCIT, Letourneau has worked on an agricultural project that made use of thermal data to assess the impacts of soil movement. He plans to advance into providing help like this after he garners more experience using drones with his existing surveying and mapping expertise on agricultural sites.

Saczuk says drones are a relatively safe way to collect data, especially in areas where walking the ground would be difficult or impractical.

“The ability to get a very detailed snapshot of crop or orchard health as often as you need,” is a major benefit, he says. “It can also help identify and prevent the outbreak of pest infestation or a particular crop disease before it spreads and damages the whole crop.”

The use of drones in blueberry fields is showing potential in helping control blueberry scorch disease as well, and significant analysis and mapping projects are underway to create databases of scanned regions. In grapes, as in blueberries, the hope is to save growers time and money; not to mention a significant amount of frustration.

Surveying and mapping is step one for drones with Letourneau and for growers.

“What I had to do was physically walk the site and shoot it point by point,” he explains. “But with a drone, in half an hour, you can get so much data with respect to topography. It’s phenomenal really.”

While many individuals fly drones, without

Letourneau’s expertise, the interpretation of that topography and the nuances of the images may be lost.

“That’s where my strength is,” he says of his surveying and mapping knowledge. “It’s bringing that data down to the land and making it clear.”

Of course, the sky is the limit to what drones can do and what they will be able to deliver to growers and farmers going forward. In some work he referenced, drones are being used to assess grape volume by colour and shape. There is the ability to analyze woody growth at the end of a season and so much more.

“Drones are already changing the business of agriculture,” says Saczuk. “It mainly boils down to understanding how data gathered by these tools can help you run your operation more safely and efficiently.”

Drones can apply chemicals and amendments day or night with GPS precision. Questions about plant health can be answered as well as those about pests.

Those looking to harness the power of drones can reach out to an up-and-coming operator like Letourneau or look into webinars and presentations being offered across North America through virtual learning. Having accurate data on hand makes a world of difference to growing success.