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Drones in agriculture: Efficiency, benefits, and savings

The use of drones in modern agriculture – often referred to as precision farming – is growing rapidly. By combining advanced camera technology, sensors, and GPS data, drones give farmers a precise overview of field conditions directly from the air.

Applications in crop farming

Crop monitoring and health:

Multispectral cameras can measure crop growth and detect signs of disease, water stress, or nutrient deficiency long before it is visible to the naked eye.

Targeted weed control:

Drones can precisely map where weeds are located in the field, making it possible to spray only the affected areas.

Fertilization and mapping:

Based on drone data, precise application maps can be created for the tractor so that fertilizer is only applied where the crops need it.

Damage assessment:

After storms, heavy rain, or drought, a drone can quickly assess the exact extent of damaged crops for insurance claims.

Key benefits

Higher yield:

Early detection of diseases and weeds prevents crop loss.

Time-saving:

The farmer avoids walking the entire field on foot and can instead scan large areas in a matter of minutes.

Sustainability:

Targeted actions protect the environment and groundwater from unnecessary chemicals.

Where do the savings come from?

Reduced chemical use:

By spraying against weeds and fungi only in the affected zones, the use of crop protection products can often be reduced by 20–50%.

Fertilizer cost optimization:

Precise application prevents over-fertilization and reduces overall fertilizer expenses.

Less fuel and wear:

The tractor spends fewer hours in the field when work is carried out precisely based on drone mapping.

Save lives and protect wildlife: Drones with thermal cameras for animal rescue

Every year, thousands of fawns and other small animals lose their lives when heavy agricultural machinery goes out for the season’s first grass cutting. When danger approaches, a fawn’s natural instinct is not to flee, but to press itself flat against the ground in the tall grass. This makes them virtually invisible from the tractor driver seat. Drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras have become a revolutionary and extremely effective solution for this.

How it works in practice

Thermal aerial scanning:

The drone flies over the field during early morning hours before the sun warms up the ground. The thermal camera quickly detects the temperature difference between the animal body heat and the cool grass.

Precise GPS marking:

When the drone spots an animal, the exact GPS coordinates are registered in real time.

Gentle evacuation:

A helper on the ground is guided directly to the animal location via a map on a smartphone or tablet. The fawn is carefully carried out of the field – always using gloves and tufts of grass around the hands to avoid leaving human scent, which the mother might otherwise reject.

Main benefits of drone-based wildlife rescue

Extremely high success rate:

Unlike manual searches on foot or with dogs, the drone quickly covers large areas with nearly 100% accuracy.

Time-saving for the farmer:

A field of several hectares can be scanned in just a few minutes right before harvesting.

Better feed quality and animal welfare:

In addition to the ethical benefits of protecting wildlife, it also prevents dead animals from ending up in the silage, which otherwise poses a serious risk of botulism for the livestock.

Less stress for the machine operator:

The tractor driver can drive with much greater peace of mind and maintain an efficient working speed without constant fear of hitting hidden wildlife.