Sky-High Farming: How Drones Are Transforming Australian Agriculture – Insights from AgriShow 2023
We round up our agriculture series guides, start from the Mavic 3 Thermal, to the Agras T40, with this guide. We recently attended the AgriShow 2023 in Moss Vale where we engaged with local farmers to discuss how drones are and could reshape their businesses to become more efficient. From thermal cattle and sheep spotting to multispectral cameras, seeding, and spraying, the benefits are endless. In this guide, we’ll go into what we learnt at the AgriShow and how drones are setting new benchmarks in Australian agriculture.
Spotting Livestock with Thermal Cameras
Imagine the convenience of keeping an eye on your livestock without having to navigate acres of land physically, just have a drone take off from your front deck instead! Thermal drones like the DJI Mavic 3 Thermal offer an easy solution for this. Equipped with heat-detecting cameras, they can swiftly locate cattle and sheep even in low-visibility conditions. Local farmers at the event were thrilled about this, as it makes it easier to manage and count livestock, detect ill or injured animals, and mitigate the risk of theft. We even had a farmer wanting to use thermal drones to detect intruders on his property!
Multispectral Cameras for Crop Health Assessment
Farmers can find it challenging to assess the health of crops visually, it also takes a long time to complete if you’re walking the land. That’s where multispectral cameras like the DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral come into play. These cameras capture various light wavelengths, offering a more accurate and comprehensive view of field conditions. Coupled with software like Pix4D Fields, farmers can detect stressed plants or weeds early, to then take timely corrective actions. The farmers we spoke to were excited about the potential for using this aerial data to make real decisions on the ground helping increase the efficiency of their crops and reduce waste.
Seeding and Spraying Made Easy
Drones are not just for monitoring; they can also take action. With customised spraying and seeding attachments, drones like the DJI Agras T10 can fertilise fields, spray insecticide, or plant seeds efficiently. This method reduces the need for heavy machinery, minimises soil compaction, and ensures a more uniform application, or specific spot treatment. The farmers we spoke to all loved the idea of only spraying in the areas they needed to, particularly for spot weed spraying. This reduces a lot of overspray, saving huge amounts of liquids and also reduces the impact on the environment from unnecessary spraying.
Conclusion
Drones are no longer the stuff of sci-fi movies; they are practical tools providing real-world solutions for Australian farmers today. From thermal cameras to multispectral imaging and seeding/spraying capabilities, drones are revolutionising the way we approach agriculture. So, if you’re a farmer looking to embrace the future or run a drone service business, the potential of drones makes farms more efficient, giving farmers back time and money on this sometimes harsh land down under . For more information you can read more in our agricultural guide.
If you’re looking for more specific information on hardware we also have guides on:
Mavic 3 Thermal
Mavic 3 Multispectral
Agras T10
Agras T30
Agras T40
