In this video, K-State Research and Extension weed management specialist Sarah Lancaster explains how drones are being used to help farmers control weeds in their fields.
“One area we are using drones is in spraying crops, but the other that is probably a little more common is for use in scouting fields,” Lancaster said.
Drones can scout fields at a relatively low cost, and the imagery can be used to determine precision spraying strategies.
“What we’re finding is that, by and large, drone imagery does a good job of classifying those areas of the field (of low, medium and high weed density) correctly,” Lancaster said.
When using drones for spraying fields, she said, “one of the limitations is the carrying capacity of that spray drone. So, where the technology in the industry stands right now, we need to be thinking more in terms of using drones for very targeted applications.”
