Research and Extension for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Applications in U.S. Agriculture and Natural Resources
Recent technological improvements in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones offer new opportunities for improving precision agriculture in cranberry production. Currently, drones are not utilised extensively in cranberry production. The objective of our research was to find ways in which drones can be used to aid cranberry growers. Specific goals include 1) use of drones for helping with frost protection 2) diagnosing nutrition deficiency on cranberry bogs 3) detecting insect damage on cranberry bogs 4) mapping weed infestations and 5) detecting diseases on cranberry bogs. The target audience of our research is cranberry growers, and the benefits will include developing tools that can be used for precision agriculture. This will be done by develong maps that can be used for spot or variable rate applications. The research project will also identify sensors/cameras that can be used for the different applications and photogrammetry products that can be used by growers to develop maps for precision applications.