Farmers are being urged to fully understand the legal implications of drone use and seek training ahead of new 2020 rules.
New regulations published on June 21 by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will require farmers to become more aware of how to deploy drones on their land. However, despite having been published, the EU unmanned aircraft regulations will not come into effect until July 2020. This gives farmers and other operators the opportunity to prepare for the proposed changes to drone use.
Cranfield University is a leader in aerospace research and the use of drones in agriculture. Through the Agrifood Training Partnership (AFTP), it is offering farmers, agronomists and anybody likely to use drones in agriculture, the opportunity to learn how drones can be used responsibly and effectively to monitor and manage crops.
Dr Monica Rivas Casado, who will tutor a flexible e-learning online “Drones for crop production” course, which starts on November 18 sais that while the use of drones in agriculture was increasing, regulations governing their use in all areas were becoming more complex.
“It’s therefore important that farmers understand how drones can benefit crop production while also being able to use them within the regulations set out by the CAA,” she added.
Research compiled by Price Waterhouse Coopers estimates 76,233 drones will be used in the UK by 2030, with more than a third of these (25,732) used in agriculture. Farmers already use drones for crop spraying and health assessments. The drones use normal and thermal cameras to deliver a level of insight into field crop health that’s not obvious to the eye and reduces the need for farmers to walk fields to understand how well crops are performing.
“Drones offer farmers an opportunity to view crops quickly and efficiently,” Dr Rivas Casado said. “The efficiencies they offer can save crops from disease and feedback vital information about how well they are establishing. However, it’s crucial that farmers understand how to deploy drones safely and effectively on their farm by being aware of these new regulations.”
In addition to being aware of CAA regulations, those who study the course will also learn how drones can be applied in agriculture, how to differentiate between drones, and what software is available for crop monitoring. The course will cover how to interpret the data generated by drones and how this can be used to improve crop and land management. Soil health, crop establishment and disease can all be assessed by evaluating drone data, which saves time and discovers crop production issues more quickly.
“The projected increase in food demand, driven by climatic factors, increased populations and land shortage shows that accurate information regarding crop production is becoming increasingly important,” Dr Rivas Casado added. “This information will assist crop management decisions and improve farm productivity. Traditional crop monitoring methods, using ground survey and aerial photography, have limitations that the use of low-cost, lightweight and easily deployable drones can overcome.”
For more information visit: www.aftp.co.uk.
