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Agriculture

Drones scout crops, measure plant health and spray fields precisely, so farmers use less water, fertilizer and chemicals.

Interactive

Example missions

Lawnmower grid

Field health survey

Fly parallel lines at a fixed altitude with overlapping multispectral images, then stitch an NDVI map.

Why this pattern? Parallel, overlapping lines let mapping software match features between photos. More overlap = better models, but more photos and flight time.

What drones do here

Scout fields for pests, disease and irrigation problems
Map crop health with multispectral imagery (NDVI)
Spray or spread seed and fertilizer on targeted areas
Count plants and estimate yield

Real-world examples

Spray drones
Large multirotor spray drones now treat fields, orchards and vineyards, especially where ground equipment can't reach.
Plant-health maps
Agronomists compare near-infrared reflectance across a field to find stressed plants before problems are visible to the eye.

Drone types

Heavy-lift spray multirotors
Fixed-wing and VTOL mappers for large farms
Small multirotors for scouting

Sensors & payloads

Multispectral cameras
RGB cameras
Thermal cameras (irrigation)
Spray and spread systems

Related STEM

Light and the electromagnetic spectrum
Plant biology and photosynthesis
Ratios and application rates
Data visualization

Skills required

Mission planning over large areas
Image processing and NDVI interpretation
Chemical safety and calibration
Talking with farmers about data

Careers

Ag drone operator
Precision-ag specialist
Agronomist
Ag data analyst

Education & training

High-school ag or CTE drone programs
Community-college precision-ag certificates
B.S. in agronomy, crop science or agricultural systems

Certifications

FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
FAA Part 137 agricultural aircraft operator certificate (for spraying)
State pesticide applicator license (for spraying)

Practice with Hamptonian apps

Pathways into this industry

Hamptonian

DroneWorks

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