General From drone flight to variable rate applications

07/10/2024

On September 26, 2024 ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) and VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) hosted an event showcasing the latest advances in precision farming. This event brought together a diverse group of researchers, farmers, contractors, drone pilots, and machine manufacturers. It provided valuable insights into new technologies and included a hands-on collaboration through a hackathon.

Drone Sampling: An Innovation in Drone Data Collection

VITO kicked off the morning session with a presentation on 'drone sampling'. This technology offers an innovative approach to mapping agricultural plots and collecting data. Traditionally, drones capture images with 80% overlap, after which the images are “stitched” together. This method is time-consuming and requires complex software.

Drone sampling, however, introduces a more efficient approach using smaller, cheaper drones that fly at lower altitudes and therefore capture highly detailed images. Using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology, these drones georeferenced each image individually using GPS coordinates, eliminating the need for overlapping photos. This method not only enhances efficiency but also offers cost savings, which is of great interest to farmers looking to implement precision agriculture.

Opsdrone drone sampling presentation
Opsdrone field demonstration

Hackathon: From Data to Task Maps

In the afternoon, participants, led by ILVO, worked in teams during a hackathon. Their challenge: to create task maps based on collected drone data and AI-predicted weeds. These task maps, essential for precision farming, were created using specialized software such as QGIS and DACOM. The data was converted into both shapefile and ISO-XML formats, two standards for precision agriculture operations.

The hackathon was a unique opportunity to put theory into practice. By working together, participants learned how to optimally convert data into usable task maps for variable rate. This type of collaboration between diverse stakeholders —research institutions, farmers, and machine manufacturers— is crucial to drive technological innovation within agriculture and to accelerate adoption of sustainable technology in practice.

Field demonstration: variable rate application

The event concluded with a field demonstration. The task maps generated during the hackaton were loaded onto two advanced boom sprayers: an Amazon sprayer and a Kverneland Group iXter B10 sprayer. In this demonstration, variable rate spraying was performed (with water) on a field of grass and clover, precisely targeting specific weeds without treating the clover. A similar approach can be used for variable rate liquid fertilizer or granular fertilizers.

Although variable-rate spraying was demonstrated in the field, this same approach can be seamlessly applied to liquid or granular fertilizer, optimizing nutrient management. This approach, enabled by precision agriculture, ensures optimal resource allocation, reducing the total input of fertilizers. By using fertilizers more efficiently, farmers can not only reduce costs but also minimize environmental impacts, a vital step toward sustainable agricultural practices. A similar approach from sensor data to task map can also be applied for variable seeding/planting or liming.

Opsdrone field demonstration Amazon boom sprayer
Opsdrone field demonstration Kverneland sprayer
Opsdrone field demonstration task map

A Step Toward Sustainable Agriculture

This event organized by ILVO and VITO clearly demonstrated how innovations like drone sampling and AI-driven data processing are contributing to the future of agriculture. The hackathon and field demonstration showed that precision agriculture is no longer a vision for the future, but is ready for application today, offering both environmental benefits and improved efficiency for farmers.

With innovations as these, ILVO and VITO are taking steps towards more sustainable agricultural practices, where technological advancement and collaboration are central. The event served as both a showcase of new possibilities and a call to action for all stakeholders to unite in building the future of agriculture.

Video:

This event was organized as part of the following projects:

OpsDrone Project VLAIO COOCK

Codecs (horizoncodecs.eu)

Agrifoodtefvlaanderen - AfgrifoodTEF

Stratus Project

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See also

General 10/07/2023

Can mowing casualties be prevented using drones?

Mowing casualties
The Living Lab Agrifood Technology worked with ecological consultancy office Landmax to explore the suitability of drones and artificial intelligence in preventing mowing casualties.