Post by Clipper on Oct 29, 2019 9:06:46 GMT -5
www.wjhl.com/news/drone-technology-changing-agriculture-wise-county-farmer-using-drones-to-help-run-family-farm/
Flying drones to check the integrity and condition of a farm's fences is a great way to keep up with the overall condition of fencing, but only after a realistic, on the ground inspection and necessary maintenance and repairs have been completed. In the Northeast where snowfall is heavy, fences are sometimes knocked down by snow and ice. During the freezing and thawing process fence posts can be loosened and pushed up by frost. When I worked on farms someone always walked and inspected every foot of fence before the cows were turned out on the pasture in the spring. Each post was wiggled to see if it was firmly planted. Each strand of wire was checked for tightness and tightened as necessary.
With that said, I can see the benefit of a drone in finding a break in the fence when cows have gotten out and a farmer needs to find the broken fence where they escaped from. Flying a drone can be helpful in simply checking on the welfare of cows in the pasture, or locating a cow and her calf when a calf is born in the pasture. Cows will often go into a wooded area to have their calf.
I would be rather skeptical about using a drone to spray herbicides or insecticides. My support for farm use of drones would be for aerial surveillance and observation only.
This drone technology has a place but I am not one in favor of having a damned drone deliver my pizza or a package from UPS. I am also a bit skeptical when privacy is concerned. If I had a daughter sunbathing in my yard and a lecherous neighbor was checking her out with his drone I would probably shoot down the drone with my pellet rifle and take it over and cram it down his throat. When a person puts up a fence for privacy, they should not have that privacy invaded by some hobbyist with a spy in the sky.
Flying drones to check the integrity and condition of a farm's fences is a great way to keep up with the overall condition of fencing, but only after a realistic, on the ground inspection and necessary maintenance and repairs have been completed. In the Northeast where snowfall is heavy, fences are sometimes knocked down by snow and ice. During the freezing and thawing process fence posts can be loosened and pushed up by frost. When I worked on farms someone always walked and inspected every foot of fence before the cows were turned out on the pasture in the spring. Each post was wiggled to see if it was firmly planted. Each strand of wire was checked for tightness and tightened as necessary.
With that said, I can see the benefit of a drone in finding a break in the fence when cows have gotten out and a farmer needs to find the broken fence where they escaped from. Flying a drone can be helpful in simply checking on the welfare of cows in the pasture, or locating a cow and her calf when a calf is born in the pasture. Cows will often go into a wooded area to have their calf.
I would be rather skeptical about using a drone to spray herbicides or insecticides. My support for farm use of drones would be for aerial surveillance and observation only.
This drone technology has a place but I am not one in favor of having a damned drone deliver my pizza or a package from UPS. I am also a bit skeptical when privacy is concerned. If I had a daughter sunbathing in my yard and a lecherous neighbor was checking her out with his drone I would probably shoot down the drone with my pellet rifle and take it over and cram it down his throat. When a person puts up a fence for privacy, they should not have that privacy invaded by some hobbyist with a spy in the sky.