Why drones are ready to take-off for farming in Shropshire
Drones are not new technology, but it appears their time may have arrived to make their mark in the agricultural industry.
In an industry hit with Brexit uncertainty and a pressure to hit profit margins, more farmers are looking to diversify into the technology sector.
They are turning their back on old fashioned techniques and turning to drones, robots and apps to boost productivity and efficiency.
Reliable
"People can carry them in their bags, to their workplaces, and get them to go in the most inhospitable places," says Jonathan Gill, mechatronics researcher at Shropshire's Harper Adams University.
"I have been working with drones systems for about 10 years and they have changed an awful lot. Today you can have a drone system you can take out of your bag and fly incredibly reliable. There are many different types of drone systems out there which are being used for many different types of agriculture."
In farming they are being used to increase crop production and monitor crop growth.
When outfitted with cameras and other data-gathering devices, drones provide an 'eye in the sky', scouting for plant pests or dry spots in need of more attention.
Around the world they are also being used for crop spraying, although as it stands currently, using drone based spraying systems for pesticide application on a commercial basis is not legal in the UK.
Harper Adams, which hosted the Drones For Farming Conference on Tuesday, has been leading the way in trialling modern technology in agriculture, including the Hands Free Hectare.
The project has involved planting, tending and harvesting a crop with only drones and autonomous vehicles.
Another project the university is involved in is the AirPOD project. Working with Westfield Autonomous Vehicles, the university has been developing a flying delivery system combining driverless technology with a drone.
It is believed it could be utilised in emergency care, enabling medical goods to be transferred rapidly between hospitals and in providing medical support and aid in rural locations such as the Lake District.
Jonathan adds: "Drones are just the tool, they are not going to make us the money. But they will allow us to get the information in the first place and keep us working in our agricultural environment."
Professor Karl Behrendt, from Harper Adams, says it is important for farmers to consider the actual gains they would get from embracing the new technology.
"Reducing search times is really important, especially if you are looking for a needle in a haystack – an animal in the Highlands or a noxious plant.
"But how much do you actually gain from all of this?
"There are the costs to consider, including the capital costs of buying drones. You have also got the set-up costs such as training to use them as well as the ongoing operating costs.
"Also, do you have the software to process the data so you are able to use it?
"Working out the costs is easy. The hardest thing to do is estimate the marginal gains.
"There are plenty of advantages and I think with the number of clever people out there, there will be more and more opportunities identified."
It is not only in agriculture where the use of drones have been been used.
Rowan Rumball, an ecological consultant with STRI, assesses protected species within different landscapes.
"We work in collaboration with golf clubs. We well them how much care to put on their turf to get the optimal playing surface," he says.
"It costs a lot of money to go onto a site, look at the turf and the habitats there, and tell them what they have got like bats or badgers. Drones provide great cost-saving methods in order to reduce the effort of having to send someone in to go and establish the presence of those species.
"They can also provide more detailed maps of sites."
Natural England has also used them to good effect to reduce costs of survey work, including at the Helmdon Disused Railway in Northamptonshire, part of which HS2 will cross.
While drones appear here to stay, they have also attracted criticism, particularly since drone sightings were reported around Gatwick and Heathrow airports just a few months ago, which kept planes grounded.
They have also been described as one of the biggest threats to aircraft in the armed forces by safety officers at RAF Shawbury after being involved in a number of incidents where they have caused a potential risk to aircraft.
Andrew Givens, of Topcon, which supplies drones for surveying, says: "It is interesting to hear people refer to the systems as drones. In a lot of circles the word is cringed upon. UAS or UAV sound a lot more friendly.
"The potential for them in the construction survey market is potentially huge. I stress the word potentially as there are a number of issues to consider.
"One of them is legislation and how it will change, particularly after the incidents at Gatwick and Heathrow over Christmas."
Last year there were about 125 aircraft incidents involving drones.
"While 125 is a relatively small number it has shot up significantly in recent years. Should the government have slapped on tougher legislation earlier?," he adds.
