GARNETT, Kansas – Frontier Extension District, Coffey County Extension, and Anderson County and Coffey County Conservation Districts will host a meeting to explore agricultural uses of drones on September 10, 2024, at 10 a.m. The meeting will be held at the Garnett Community Building, North Lake Road, Garnett, Kansas, and will continue through the afternoon, during which drone flight demonstrations will take place.
Those wishing to attend are asked to reserve their spot by calling the Garnett Frontier Extension District office at 785-448-6826 or emailing Ryan Schaub at [email protected]. Lunch will be provided to registered participants.
Students in unmanned aircraft systems training at K-State Salina demonstrate a drone flight. Photo by K-State Salina.
Agricultural producers are constantly looking for new ways to increase their yields and maximize their productivity. One tool that is receiving a lot of attention is the use of drones. Drones used in agriculture already allow farmers and ranchers to monitor crops and livestock and make decisions based on the information they collect. The use of this technology is expected to continue to grow.
During the meeting, experts will cover a wide range of relevant topics. Spencer Schrader is the flight operations manager for unmanned aircraft systems at K-State Salina; this UAS program is a national leader in the unmanned aircraft space. Schrader will discuss the state of the drone industry, including flight regulations, drone types and their applications, current and future uses of drones, drone accessories, and how to conduct aerial applications with drones.
Jaymelynn Farney, beef systems specialist at Kansas State Research and Extension, will present her research using drones to measure pasture biomass.
Trevor Witt, owner of Kairos Geospatial, will explore the practical applications of remote sensing drones for natural resource conservation. Witt’s company was the first private company to legally offer commercial UAS services in Kansas.
Kelly Navinsky-Wenzel, program manager for the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide and Fertilizer Division, will discuss the KDA’s role in using drones to apply herbicides.
Haley Larson is a professor of animal health and nutrition at K-State Olathe and author of book chapters on new technologies to improve global food supplies and livestock production in the 2022 book “Space Systems: Emerging Technologies and Operations” and the 2024 book “Advanced Technologies for Humanity.” Larson will speak about her research using drones in feedlots.
Global positioning systems were first made available to the public for civilian use in 1983. Since then, GPS and other technologies have led to many changes in agriculture, including combine yield monitors (1992), variable rate on-farm technologies (1993), tractor guidance systems (1997), and boom controls (2006).
Today, drones are used to monitor crop health, pests, soil moisture and nitrogen levels. They are also used for planting and seeding crops, spraying crops, monitoring livestock movement and health, observing livestock watering holes, ensuring safety on farms and much more.
Anyone interested is cordially invited to register for this informative day and learn how the use of drones in agriculture is becoming increasingly widespread.
Information courtesy of Carol Engle, Frontier Extension District communications and marketing manager.
