Drones Could Help Farmers Keep A Watchful Eye On Crop Health

A drone gains elevation before collecting imagery at the Belltown Hill Orchards in South Glastonbury. The images will be used to study the health of the crops. (Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public)

On a farm in South Glastonbury, a tractor idles. It’s one of the most iconic farming inventions of the late 19th century, a tool that was invented shortly before Donald Preli’s grandfather came from Italy and started Belltown Hill Orchards.

Now, more than 100 years later, Preli said a much newer invention could revolutionize farming here: unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

“We only can see as we’re looking down a row,” Preli said. “This is flying over top …“It’s going to see trouble areas a lot quicker than we will.”

Drone technology could be a new frontier for farmers looking to keep a watchful eye on their crops by providing updates on plant health and saving farmers valuable time.

“With the drone technology, we’re hoping that they can fly pretty much the whole farm in a couple hours,” Preli said. “Report back on my cellphone, I’ll look at it in the evening, and make adjustments the following day.”

And while a ping on a farmer’s cellphone is the end goal, drone technology still isn’t quite there yet.

Click here for the full story from Connecticut Public Radio.