Sky’s the Limit ISA continues to invest in drone technology BY KRISS NELSON
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he use of drones has been growing in popularity throughout the agricultural industry, and the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) is no exception. Last summer, the DJI Inspire 2, outfitted with a Sentera multispectral sensor, became a part of ISA’s fleet. The multispectral sensor captures a standard color image and near-infrared simultaneously. Anthony Martin, ISA senior field services program manager, used the new drone last fall on a limited basis and is ready to take to the skies this spring. “I plan on getting out for cover crop projects to capture images of growth and coverage before planting,” Martin says. To become a drone pilot, Martin obtained his FAA Remote Pilot Certificate. He has five years of experience flying drones.
16 | MARCH 2022 | IASOYBEANS.COM
Taking drones to the fields Drones can be used for several different activities within agriculture. The most popular and simplest are capturing aerial imagery or video. “Drones help us get a bird’s-eye view of the field,” says Martin. “The new drones have better resolution than what is available from traditional satellite providers, and we can fly much lower than a manned aircraft to get a better look at crops.” Advanced uses for drones include crop scouting, monitoring plant health and collecting detailed field information, including ground coverage and weed pressure. “We are already starting to see drones being adopted for many on-farm uses,” says Martin. “Many farmers, coops and independent agronomists have their own drones used for those scouting and imagery collection activities.” Drones are also useful in collecting plant stand counts.
“It could greatly reduce the amount of in-field time needed for this activity and also provide earlyseason growth images for the farmers and our projects,” Martin says. Drones can also lend a hand with in-season aerial applications of plant protection products and spreading dry products, such as cover crop seed. “The aerial activities mean one less pass through the field from ground equipment and having a more targeted approach to chemicals or other product applications where we can treat areas that need it,” says Martin. Kevin Prevo, ISA farmer-member from Bloomfield, participated in an ISA on-farm fungicide application trial a few years ago. Due to irregularly shaped fields, which are typical for his area in the southeastern part of the state, Prevo says they were looking for a way to apply laterseason fungicides that didn’t require driving through their cornfields.
