By Bernard Morara | morara@meshascience.org
Farmers in America are increasingly investing and showing interest in agricultural drone technology and services, new research has confirmed.
This trend observed in the last couple of years is captured in a research paper titled, “Farmer Perceptions of Agricultural Drones,” sponsored by SweetWater Technologies, Agri Spray Drones, the National Corn Growers Association and Syngenta.
This study spotlights the growing trend of American farmers adopting the use of agricultural drone technology and equipment in crop production.
The project, jointly deployed with CropLife America, The Fertilizer Institute, the Agricultural Retailers Association and D.C. Legislative and Regulatory Services and conducted by Stratovation Group, notes that farmers are fast embracing drone technology and services in their fields.
“Agriculture is in a pivotal position where emerging technologies like drones are becoming tangible tools for production efficiency,” said Cam Camfield, CEO and founder of Stratovation Group, a leading agriculturally focused research and communications firm. “Farmers told us that drones or drone services are becoming a core piece of their operational infrastructure,” he added.
The study explored a wide range of topics, including farmer perceptions of drone technology, barriers to adoption, brand preferences, future purchasing plans and specific technical concerns shaping decision making at the field level.
Study results paint an encouraging picture of the drive to increase the utility of new agricultural innovations. Of the farmers currently using drones, the most common drone type by far was the multi-rotor drones at 89%.
Findings from the survey show a high degree of market uptake for the agricultural drone sector. A value perception poll done among drone owners indicates that they largely have a very positive perception of drones, with almost seven in every ten or 67% expressing positive impressions and none having negative perceptions.
In developed countries, drones offer many benefits, including real-time monitoring of crop health, efficient resource management and improved yield prediction. However, adoption and utilisation of drones remain limited in developing economies.
In Africa, drones are used in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare and security with countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya taking the lead. Key applications include farming to boost yields, delivery of medical supplies especially in remote areas and surveillance, though challenges like high costs, regulatory barriers and limited technical expertise remain.
In Kenya, the World Bank piloted the application drones to farmers in Kitui, Machakos and Narok in a bid to help farmers improve on their farm management practices and the outcomes have been very impactful.
According to the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (2024), drones contribute to increased efficiency in various aspects of the farming process, including crop monitoring, planting, livestock management, crop spraying, and irrigation mapping.
Drones have distinct features which make them uniquely applicable in agriculture, particularly in assisting farmers in maximizing their harvest. They achieve this by detecting issues early on and managing crops through specific cameras designed to identify pests and water shortages.
