Lee Dodson from Summerside on Prince Edward Island believes he has found a technological way for farmers to have detailed knowledge of the health of their fields without stepping outside.
Dodson, CEO of Skygate Drone Services, was one of about 120 exhibitors at this year’s International Potato Technology Expo in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island this past Friday and Saturday.
Dodson’s company involves flying a drone equipped with a multispectral crop imaging sensor over a farmer’s field to photograph and produce various computerized maps that show health issues and specific problem areas with a crop days or weeks before a farmer can detect them visually.
“So, the farmer can actually apply a solution, whether it is irrigation or fertilizer or pesticide. It is something they can address before the problem has actually caused permanent damage,” he said.
The sensor technology uses the plant’s chlorophyll to determine health as well as distinguishing between weeds and potato plants by the colour of their leaves. The sensor provides two-and-a-half centimetre accuracy about a plant’s makeup from a drone flying 400 feet overhead, Dodson said.
Source: Journal Pioneer
Skygate Drone Services: https://skygatedrones.com/
