Page 28 2025 Logan County Spring Outlook LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 2025 business. The two certified pilots employed by the company spoke to students about how they are utilizing drones for crop scouting and spot treatment of fields. In April 2023 the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture put its stamp of approval on drone usage in agricultural settings. They noted drawbacks and barriers along with noting a healthy list of positives. “This project has expanded drone use opportunities by creating new drone systems that: “Scout pests and diseases in fruit, nut and row crops and apply targeted treatment. These industries face major pest issues that are intensified by limited labor availability and increasing consumer demand for produce with fewer chemical inputs (Clemson University, University of Georgia, Purdue University, Washington State University). “Monitor plant water stress to help farmers target irrigation resources where most needed (Clemson University). “Enable faster plant screening and new types of measurements and biological discoveries (Montana State University, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Washington State University). “Detect stray livestock herds, create 3D renderings of animals to calculate market value and assess forage quality (University of Kentucky, Mississippi State University). “Monitor water quality on a large scale (Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech). “Provide higher resolution data for flood risk models and water resource management (Auburn University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Virginia Tech).” While that research brought on some very positive results, in January of 2024, the Ohio State University Extension published an article that was for the most part “Pro drone” but also listed some of the challenges and obstacles in the use of drones in agriculture. “Acceptance of spray drones by individual farmers has been slow for several reasons: “Since using drones to spray pesticides is relatively new, the amount of credible, published research data evaluating spray drone performance, and comparing drone Continued --
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