In this issue
Counting coconuts with drones
On the Pacific islands of Samoa drone technology is used in a coconut tree survey to forecast more accurately yield and production of virgin coconut oil.
A bird’s eye view on Africa’s rice irrigation system
Drone technology provides agriculturists with a cost-effective method of infrastructure planning. In Nigeria it has accelerated the planning, design and construction of rice irrigation systems.
Drones detect crop stresses more effectively
Drones can someday serve as a low-cost, effective method of monitoring sweet potato crops, which are becoming increasingly important to smallholder farmers.
The challenge of comparing crop imagery over space and time
by Ola Hall and Maria Francisca Archila Bustos
Imagery collected by drones can help agricultural experts identify the causes of low crop productivity. But the technology must be adapted to determine different crop varieties from multispectral images. And problems of image calibration must be resolved.
Making sense of drone regulations
Authorities demand regulation for and supervision of the increasing use of drones, because of privacy, safety and security issues. Drone operators must be aware of this.
Documenting illegal land occupancy from the air
Unmanned aerial vehicles have the potential to empower indigenous communities to become equal partners in the efforts to safeguard their territories and natural resources.
Insuring Indian farmers more effectively
Crop insurance payouts could be sped up with the help of drone technology, preventing financial hardship and potentially helping more small-scale farmers get insured.
Transforming smallholder farming through remote sensing
The STARS project explores ways to use remote sensing technology to improve agricultural practices of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia with the aim to advance their livelihoods.
Drones and dogs work together to save avocado crops
Florida’s multimillion dollar avocado industry is under threat of a deadly fungus that is spread by beetles. But a combination of drones and dogs could be a game-changer.
Sri Lanka's drone pioneers
The International Water Management Institute in Sri Lanka has begun to experiment with drone technology to support a wide range of studies like crop monitoring, disaster mitigation and disease prevention.
Five steps of making a map with small drones
Traditionally all features on a map were represented in the form of symbols whose spatial characteristics, like location, size and shape, could be mathematically defined in a spatial reference system. The underlying spatial information of features depicted in this way is referred to as vector data.
Drones on the horizon: new frontier in agricultural innovation
Drone technology could help farmers around the world monitor their crops, fend off pests, improve land tenure, and more. But to realise its full potential, regulatory regimes are necessary, while keeping citizens’ safety and privacy rights secure.
Counting coconuts with drones
On the Pacific islands of Samoa drone technology is used in a coconut tree survey to forecast more accurately yield and production of virgin coconut oil.
Resources
Resources related to drones, aerial mapping and UAVs
Drone technology could help farmers around the world monitor their crops, fend off pests, improve land tenure, and more. But to realise its full potential, regulatory regimes are necessary, while keeping citizens’ safety and privacy rights secure.
