NOT unlike a doctor taking a patient’s temperature, a commercial drone operator at Naracoorte is testing whether thermal imaging can determine the health of a crop.
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Southern Precision director Grant Yates said there was evidence internationally to suggest thermal imaging could be a useful indicator of crop health.
Mr Yates can take thermal images from a high-tech fixed-wing drone.
“We’re trialing thermal alongside the normalised difference vegetation index to identify areas of stress or other issues, particularly with irrigated crops,” he said.
“If you have areas of the crop with low NDVI biomass readings and higher temperature, that will likely correlate with stress.
“In the next few weeks we’ll see what benefit there is as thermal could go on to having applications in livestock and other industries.”
Mr Yates’ company provides high resolution imagery for vineyards and horticulture, but also uses their drone’s accuracy capabilities for drainage assessment and designs on broadacre and irrigated farms.
“When we fly at our maximum legal height, we’re getting four-centimetre resolution images, but that can be overkill for some applications, such as broadacre nutrient management,” he said.
Farmers can benefit from satellite imagery at a lower expense. “Even a hobby-style quadcopter drone that can take aerial photos will reveal potential crop emergence and weed issues and save the farmer having to drive across the paddock,” Mr Yates said.
Certified drone operator Leighton Pearce anticipates the use of unmanned aerial vehicles will increase as they become more affordable and farmers justify the cost for their applications. While UAVs are mostly used for monitoring crop health, Mr Pearce said they could be used prior to seeding as well.
“Farmers can use a drone to fly above their paddocks and see where the biggest weed incursions are so they can remove weeds before they seed,” he said. “Normally you would drive all across the property, but with a drone you’re able to get a bird’s eye view of the property.
“You’re able to look at 100 per cent of your property and it’s environmentally friendly – there’s no compaction of paddock with a tractor.”
UAV systems range in price from $3000 and $30,000, including camera equipment.
