drones

On May 22nd, a federal rule requiring owners to register recreational drones with the government was deemed illegal by a federal appeals court.  Since January 2016, UAVs larger than 1.5 pounds needed to be registered with the FAA.  But, last week’s decision said such a rule can only come from Congress.   Will t...

The conversation around drones on U.S. farms is often about how they will continue to grow in popularity, even as the government tries to figure out how to manage the expansion.   Virginia Tech’s Kevin Cubbage said the reason it’s “taking off” is because of how versatile drones can be.   “We can use it to s...

A new poll finds a growing percentage of farmers plan to operate a drone this year.  The poll by Farm Journal Media found 21% of farmers will operate the drone themselves, while another 12% of farmers indicated they would opt for a third-party entity to fly drones.  Mo...

Whenever discussing direct seed or no-till efforts, one of the early questions is around the use of technology, and if it can be incorporated with existing equipment.  Jason Wilson is a precision specialist with ATI, he said much of the technology, has been around for 12-plus years, making it easy to integrate with existing equipment.  ...

There’s a market for robots developing in agriculture.  To take advantage of that, many startup companies and established ventures are developing a wide range of robotic systems to help farmers perform a variety of tasks.  A Tractica news release says some of the key applications include driverless tractors, material management, as well as managing field crops, soils, and dairies.  A report rele..

Investments in agricultural technology reached a record $25 billion globally last year, despite a softer global agriculture economy.   A report released this week by the Boston Consulting Group and AgFunder expects that figure grow again this year as well.  Th...

Are drones catching on as the latest way to monitor crops, and livestock here in the Northwest.   Yes, albeit slowly, according to UpAngle Agriculture.   The Eastern Washington company focuses on Plant Stress Assessment, Yield Monitoring, Weed Detection and more. Bryan Mo...

The FAA’s new rules for unmanned aerial systems, better known as drones, went into effect on Monday.   Joe Mora with the FAA said there are areas, particularly for agriculture, where exemptions can be made.   For example, Mora said restrictions on flying times is one area where agriculture can get an exception.   “When ...

The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, has announced a new rule regarding unmanned aerial systems, or drones that goes into effect Monday, August 29th.   Joe Mora with the FAA said he understands that some farmers might find it restrictive, but it really isn’t.   “...

Investments in agriculture technology have receded so far this year, following a record global investment last year.  According to Reuters, funding from venture capitalists and others totaled $1.8 billion through the first six months of the year, down 20% from a year earlier.  In...