The most popular unmanned aerial vehicle at the Big Iron Farm Show was David Gan’s eight-motor helicopter, which can carry spray equipment along with four gallons of crop protection product. Gan began developing drones for the Israeli military in 1989 and has turned his skill set to designing agricultural drones.  |  Ron Lyseng photo

Military know-how leads to ag spray chopper

FARGO, N.D. — The skills David Gan acquired while developing military drone technology in Israel is now being applied to precision agriculture in North America. “My company has a long history of building military (unmanned aerial vehicles) since 1989. Now we have a new company in California to serve North America,” Gan said at the […] Read more

With camera and battery in place, the eBee weighs only 1.5 pounds, says Brent Chenier of Ag Business and Crop in Calgary, which is a dealer for the Swiss-built UAV.  |  Ron Lyseng photo

Transport Canada gives eBee thumbs up

CALGARY — The delta wing eBee precision agricultural drone is based on the latest aerodynamic technology. It carries a payload of powerful imaging technology with six sensors from which to choose. Brent Chenier of Ag Business and Crop in Calgary said the eBee weighs 1.5 pounds when the camera and battery are installed. “It’s constructed […] Read more

New technology and agronomic advisory services offer a leap forward in precision farming, but also create a massive bank of data, creating the need for privacy protections.  |  File photos

Big data presents opportunities, challenges for agriculture

Imagine if every combine yield monitor on the continent was wirelessly linked to a massive data storage and analysis bank, continuously uploading real time harvest results. As the combines rolled, a detailed picture of the size of the North American crop would take shape. This would provide a far more detailed picture of the crop […] Read more