NEW YORK/CHICAGO, March 15 (Reuters) – Walmart Inc’s patent filings hint that it may see a future where farmers use its drones to not only spot crop problems but selectively apply chemicals or even disperse pollen to bring shoppers the freshest and cheapest food possible. The world’s largest retailer applied for six patents last year […] Read more
Tag Archives drones
The drones are coming to spray your crops
CORRECTION: This story originally said Don Campbell revived approval from Transport Canada to apply crop protection products with a drone. However, Transport Canada only gave Campbell a special approval to emit fluids from a drone. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency is responsible for the regulation of pest control products in Canada. Roga Drone is […] Read more
The little plane that did
A farmer and a Toronto entrepreneur have taken their dream from door knocking to delivery in 2 1/2 years. Norm Lamothe and David MacMillan came together to lift agricultural aerial drones to the level of large-scale service provider. “When you have a family farm with limited acres you need another plan to ensure you have […] Read more
Sensor sensibility
Canadian farmers are dithering when it comes to using specialized sensors, according to a Glacier FarmMedia survey. In an online survey filled out by 428 farmers from late August to mid-October, only seven percent of respondents said they have fully adopted the use of specialized sensors, and only 20 percent are actively testing them. In […] Read more
Drone video used for court cases
Aerial drones are known as tools to help farmers in the field, but the gadgets are becoming increasingly known in court rooms or dispute hearings to help farmers more quickly resolve cases, and maybe get a better deal. Keith Wilson, an agriculture and environmental lawyer who has worked in Alberta’s Farmers’ Advocate Office, has been […] Read more
New ear tags, drones keep tabs
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — When it comes to managing his cattle, Jeff Braisher has found it all comes down to one thing. Whether the British Columbia rancher is counting cattle, tracking movement of his herd or assessing weight gains, his biggest conundrum is figuring out how to make an ear tag stay in the cow’s ear. […] Read more
Field edge analysis platform delivers the news fast
Sentera’s new software allows growers to send their drones out to gather photos, determine trouble spots and take action quickly
Farmers who access early warning data on poor emergence have the opportunity to spray out or rip up those tardy acres for replanting or go in with remedial nutrition to rescue them. The key is to know as soon as possible after emergence if you need to take such action. One week too late can […] Read more
Drones spit out facts, not answers
LACOMBE, Alta. — Chris Neeser has been studying drones for Alberta Agriculture since 2014 to gauge the usefulness of current technology in agricultural applications. “We examined the usefulness of imagery from UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for the purpose of weed and disease forecasting, and hopefully the process might answer some of the questions in case […] Read more
VIDEO: Drones get civilized for agriculture
As drones become more affordable and flyable, an increasing number of growers are kicking the propellers as they try to figure out how to implement this emerging technology on their farms. The sky’s the limit in terms of the possible agricultural applications, but there is a limit to the amount of time and money farmers […] Read more
Preflight checklists make flights safe and data sound
When farmers are preparing drones for the season’s reconnaissance, there are vital preparations and decisions that must first be addressed. Producers should have a checklist of things to look at before launching their drones. First, says Felix Weber, operators must check to see whether they have the right approvals. “The law has changed as of […] Read more
