Drones for agriculture use to become commercialized

Apr 10, 2015

Precision Drone will being offering scouting services

Thanks to a Noblesville, Indiana operation, farmers could now have access to same day field data with the use of drones.

Using their national and international contacts to manufacture and distribute drones, along with permission from the Federal Aviation Administration, Precision Drones LLC can offer scouting services with their Precision Drone Pacesetter.

"The differences we have made in management style after utilizing the Pacesetter on our own operations have been profound and we want all growers across the country to see these benefits to both yield and conservation." said Aaron Sheller co-owner of Precision Drone and a seventh generation farmer.

Allowing Precision Drone to fly, operate, and map fields for growers will allow the grower to see the true benefits of the product prior to purchase. "We realize that growers utilizing our product are agricultural industry leaders and with the ability to fly and map 160 acres an hour from the field,” said Matt Minnes the other co-owner of Precision Drone LLC.

Two issues that can limit the profitability of a farmer’s operations are time efficiency and application timeliness. Issues that Precision Drone have taken into consideration.

"With the proper Pacesetter scouting plan and creating variable rate application maps off of these images, we proved last season on average over testing on our own farm we were able to cost justify our drone in less than 240 acres. The key is putting imputs where they will receive the most return on investment." said Sheller.

Join the conversation and tell us if you’ll start using drones in your farm operation. If you already do, how does it help?

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.