The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance in military applications is well known. What is likely less common is the use of these types of aircraft for monitoring agricultural crops, land management, and sustainability measures. UAVs offer great promise in agriculture.
With the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration taking another step forward in regulations for commercial drone use, agriculture is short time away from being transformed forever. There are countless applications that can incorporate UAVs in conjunction with current technologies on the market. Aerial scouting, crop stresses identified with multispectral imaging, population counts, yield estimates and many other crucial management decisions can be gathered with the help of these high tech “toys”. This technology could ultimately change the way we feed and fuel the world, but is there another side to this story? You bet.
There are thousands of people who are terrified of what the use of this technology could bring to privacy rights in the country. I can say personally that I do not want someone flying a remote controlled helicopter with a high definition Go Pro camera up to my window at night nor would you. I am pleased to see the right steps are being taken by the DOT and FAA to ensure that personal privacy is respected and aviation safety is strongly enforced while also ensuring this industry has a bright and stable future ahead. The safety concerns are real with this industry, but so are the wealth of benefits it could bring. You can find information about the new regulations in the outlined proposal here: http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=18295
From Genera Energy’s perspective, having the capability to monitor our crops with UAVs could be a huge benefit in time management, information management, and yield increases through precision management of energy crops. All of these benefits can lead to better planning and increased economic efficiencies for our customers. In the world of energy crops, it is imperative that we maximize the potential tonnage on each acre. The commercial scale success of dedicated energy crops will depend on how well we develop production methods to harness the maximum potential each year and UAVs are one of the innovative tools to make sure this goal is achieved.
Genera Energy is continuously innovating biomass production and supply chain practices with technologies and tools like UAVs. Contact us today to see how we can make your biomass-using project a success.
By Lucas Graham, Feedstock Production and Supply Manager
