Corn, Soybean and Wheat
UAV Benefits
- Quickly fly your field, collecting pictures and video throughout the growing season
- Increase efficiency and reduce risks of missing a potential problem
- Map your entire field with stitching software to generate data associated with specific geographic coordinates
- Further investigate areas of concern after stitching an image of your field
- Higher-precision nutrient application through the creation of a field prescription
- Visualize changes in the field you may not otherwise see from the ground
UAV Challenges
Clouds: Broken skies can ruin image quality- Tip: Fly when skies are fully overcast or clear for optimal image quality.
- Tip: Watch for helicopters or crop dusters – the most common aircraft.
- Tip: It takes a little experience. Familiarize yourself with general camera settings and know the goals of each particular flight.
Corn, Soybean and Wheat Examples
![Image of Three plant health maps were compared alongside RGB](_media/stand-count-r-1x1.jpg)
Three plant health maps were compared alongside RGB to determine if additional sensors...
![Image of visual red light and near-infrared (NIR) light and is a trusted indicator of plant health](_media/infieldndvi-corn.jpg)
Three plant health maps were compared alongside RGB to determine if additional sensors would...
![Image of a drone fertilizing a cornfield](_media/drone-on-field.jpg)
This DJI Agras spray drone is designed for precision variable rate application of liquid...
![Image of a tractor passing through a cornfield](_media/tractor-on-a-field.jpg)
A non-chemical weed suppression technique using electricity to boil water in plant cells causes...
![Image of a tractor working on a cornfield](_media/tractor-cornfield.jpg)
Flame weeding is a practice that organic farmers can use to control grass and broadleaf weeds in...
![Image of crops from above](_media/overview-cornfield-uav-image.jpg)
A severe storm passed through White County, Ind. in July 2020, causing...
![Image of a soil map that shows premature leaf drop triggered the detection of the fungus Cercospora kikuchii](_media/cercospora-raw.png)
Premature leaf drop triggered the detection of the fungus Cercospora kikuchii which attacks...
![Image of a tar spot discovered at a Purdue irrigation research plot](_media/field-tar-spot-aerial.jpg)
Tar spot was discovered at a Purdue irrigation research plot and monitored by Darcy Telenko,...
![Image of a crop health map of the field taken around stage R3](_media/warren-crop-health-maps.jpg)
A Warren County farmer was interested in understanding differences between tillage, other field...
![Image of a cornfield from high above, a red streak in the middle indicates problems with certain hybrid.](_media/corn-hybrids-planthealth.jpg)
The red streak in the middle of this field near the Ivy Tech Community College site in Lafayette...
![Image from a field taken by a drone from up high](_media/carter_rgb-map-series.jpg)
A map series was generated during testing of the Quantix fixed-wing UAV in 2019. The fixed-wing...
![aerial image of a wheat field](_media/wheat-streaking-aerial.jpg)
Flown May 2018 by Mark Carter, Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator, Purdue Extension...
![Image of a plot showing differences in drained and undrained areas](_media/planted-only-and-disced-and-planted.jpg)
Pattern tile installation occurred on this field during winter 2020-21 with 50-foot lateral spans...
![Elevation mapping demonstrates clear ridges and drops](_media/landscapeele-v2.jpg)
Drones are not only effective at recording plant health, but also at detecting how land features...