After wanting a drone for years, Kody Trampel recently purchased a new DGI Phantom 4.

Billed as the “smartest flying camera,” the Phantom 4 has five cameras for improved stabilization and obstacle avoidance. This is an attractive feature for new pilots worried about crashing on their first drone flight, plus it’s advantageous when shooting tight close-up shots.

“Since I’m a rookie pilot, I chose the Phantom 4 because it has sensors on all four propellers,” says Kody, an agronomy specialist with MaxYield Seed. “This drone will sense an object in its flight path, ascend and fly over it, and then return to its original route. They made it virtually dummy-proof and that’s good for new pilots like me!”

Another advantage of the Phantom 4 is that you get 25 percent more flight time due to extended battery life.

“I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a drone because I think this drone will give me a competitive edge,” says Kody. “I also think it will make crop scouting a lot more fun. No one really wants to walk deep into a tasseled field of corn when the thermometer reads 90 degrees. Now with the drone, we can scout a 160 acres in a matter of minutes.”

Kody believes the drone’s eye view will enhance, not replace, physically scouting fields. He plans to take photos and then return to his office where he can study those images in detail. If he pinpoints a problem area, he can then return to a particular part of a field where he can focus his scouting efforts.

Because his drone arrived during #harvest16, Kody’s thoughts were focused on how the Phantom 4 might help him and his farmer-customers develop harvest plans.

“Harvestability can be an issue,” says Kody. “We can keep an eye on the fields all season long and constantly monitor standability and stalk condition. I’ll be able to help my customers prioritize fields for harvest. If I see a field that looks suspect from the air, I can then walk into it and do a pinch test. I’ll also be able to take crop notes. For example, I might notice that one particular hybrid number is prone to dying back or doesn’t have good late-season intactness. That will not only help my customers develop harvest plans but it could help them with seed selection and/or product placement in future years.”

Technology is always evolving, so it’s important to research the available products before making a purchase. Kody purchased his drone from a local dealer, who will be available to answer follow-up questions and to provide maintenance and service. The salesman was able to talk with Kody about the pros and cons of different models.

It’s also helpful to talk with others who have experience using drones. Here are links to other Latham® dealers and sales managers who have been featured in our 8-week “Flying the Field” series:

• Logan Shedenhelm
• Phil Pitzenberger
• Ryan Skaug
• Joe Roberts
• Titan Immel
• James Keltgen
• Ethan Johnson

Originally from Northeast Iowa, Logan Shedenhelm has found a new tool for his family’s farming operation that yields high results. The Shedenhelm’s could now scout their field in a timely manner, learning more than they ever have.

“My summer internship with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds helped me see the value of having an eye in the sky over our fields,” said Logan. “From making a sales pitch to improving our own operation, I have been able to uncover many things just from a different angle.” 

This past summer, Logan flew the Phantom 4 and admits that this would be the model to invest in someday. Between the ease-of-use and high-quality camera image, Logan found this was a durable, all-in-one drone.

“Drone technology can be beneficial to a farming operation if used properly,” Logan said. “Drones can be used to see every single acre you farm or to view livestock in the pasture in a time-effective way.”

Logan found different uses for his drone from season to season. Starting with planting and early spring, he used the drone to look at emergence, stand and weather damage. In mid-season, he used the drone for weather damage, weed pressure and chemical injury. Coming closer to harvest, he was able to see where fields began to tassel or where disease pressure was taking over.

Early in the season after a rain, Logan flew the drone over a field back home in Riceville, Iowa. When taking the drone up, he was able to see the wet spots in between the tile lines. He discovered dry streaks in between the wet spots were the tile lines. After taking multiple pictures and videos, they have a good representation of where their tile lines were and were they needed to add more drainage.

Later in the season, it was easy to see compaction when flying the drone. Certain rows which look like there where from machinery, where shorter and lighter in color. These symptoms were from compaction.

“Drones can be a great investment and pay for themselves in just one year if used properly,” Logan said. “I was able to always find a reason to check fields no matter what the season. It is a benefit to see every field from a weekly basis instead of being blindsided by something that your drone could have seen when harvesting your crops.”

For more than a year, Ethan Johnson has operated a Phantom III Professional Quad Copter for Doug Abeln Seed Co. in Groton, South Dakota. He says the aerial images help them see trouble spots in fields.

“We like to use the drone to help us with our tiling projects,” explains Ethan. “We look for trouble areas within a field that could be fixed with tile. We also like to use the drone to look at corn planter shut-offs in late spring to see if our planter is as accurate as the monitor says it is. The drone also has also been a helpful tool with crop insurance issues like spray damage or hail.

Unfortunately, this season he discovered a new use for their drone when Goss’s Wilt was spotted across a corn field. After seeing how badly the field was affected, Ethan says the next step is to select a hybrid with a better tolerance.

The view from a drone also allows farmers to see a different in stand between hybrids.

“Plant health is something we like to look at from above,” says Ethan. “It really gives you a different picture, literally, than what you can see at the ground level. You can see a lot from the air, at different times of the season. It’s helpful to identify problem areas before you’re in the combine.”

For farmers who are interested in purchasing a drone, Ethan recommends looking at the Phantom IV because it’s more up-to-date. He also advises them to consider purchasing the Sony

“Buy your drone as a package deal with extra batteries and a carrying case to save some money,” he says. “You will need an iPad Air II because older models won’t work. Finally, always be safe always. Use common sense when flying drones, so no one gets hurt.”

Rules require you to keep the drone in sight, and you must operate your drone at 400 feet or below. Click here for 5 things to know about the new FFA rules regarding UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles, aka “drones”) for agricultural use.

By Joe Roberts, Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds Sales Intern

My dad decided to buy a drone because he believed it would help making better, more informed decisions on our farm.

A drone can lead to better management practices in so many ways. When we have wet years and get in a hurry, sometimes we plant in conditions that aren’t ideal. Throughout the growing season, we can then fly the drone over those fields and see the impact of planting in wet conditions.

This summer, while I was flying drones as part of my internship with Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds, I could see compaction problems throughout the fields. You can identify problems like drown-out areas or high weed pressure areas. The same year you can go out and implement applications to correct that before the next growing season.

I believe seeing those areas through the lens of a drone during the growing season and then seeing yield differences on the monitor this fall will cause us to make changes next spring.

Flying a drone all summer long gave us the ability to “see the big picture” of an entire field. Sometimes problems occur in areas that aren’t visible from the ground or in places that aren’t easy to reach by walking a field. We were able to fly some fields that had to be assessed quickly for replant. In a few minutes, we were able to analyze every section of the field.

One of the coolest things I saw through the drone camera this summer was the progression of the stress wheel. Flying the drone over the crops as they developed held significance since I was able to help during planting. Flying over the Latham Seeds’ test plots and SuperStrips throughout the marketing area gave both farmers and myself an arial view of the differences in hybrids along with the progression of each one. Once you see some of the amazing pictures that a drone take, I don’t think you’ll ever look at your fields the same way!

Drones can be used at all points throughout the growing season, which really creates a good return on your investment. Early in the season, you can make notes about emergence or compaction issues. When the crops emerge, you can fly fields to identify problems with fertilizer application and weed control. There’s always a use for a drone after a storm, whether you want to look for drowned-out spots or wind damage. Flying the drone makes quick work of all of these tasks, plus it’s a lot more fun! I’m looking forward to taking cool videos from planting to harvest, and then showing the photos to friends and family.

My advice to farmers is don’t let the fear of flying prevent you from getting a drone. The process to learn how to fly the drone can be accomplished in less than a day. It just takes some practice. There are even drones available with obstacle collision, so you don’t have to worry about crashing it anymore. Additional programs may be purchased to enhance the value of your drone. At the Farm Progress Show, I talked with a company representative that had mapping software for the drones, as well as the ability to spray fungicide over portions of your field.

As drones keep advancing, the sky’s the limit for the potential uses of your very own drone! Buying something that can have a practical use on the farm for more than one season looked to be a good investment, too.

Thanks for tuning into TheFieldPosition on Thursdays! Last week we started a new eight-week series on how Upper Midwest farmers are using drones (aka unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs) in their farming operations. They’ll be sharing tip and tricks on everything from buying a drone to flying one. If you have specific questions you’d like answered, please send them to us via Facebook Messager, tweet them to @LathamSeeds or email shannonl@lathamseeds.com.

Flying the Fields with Ryan Skaug

Knowledge is power. That’s why this fifth generation corn/soybean farmer in northern Minnesota and in the eastern Red River Valley believes drones are very useful to a farming operation.

“Being a young farmer and seed dealer, I like to be on the cutting edge of new technology,” says Ryan Skaug, a Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds dealer, who started flying three years ago. He purchased the DJI Phantom II because he liked its ease of use and he could get it serviced nearby.

“The more I fly, I more uses I discover for the drone. I use my drone to look at fields all season long.”

In early spring, Ryan likes to see where excess water is logged within field ditches or in potholes that can be connected to larger bodies of waters or mains to increase field productivity with lesser, saturated soils. The AGPS Ditch Pro gives him more accurate in-season photos. Ryan studies the ditch and slope of the ground to create more efficient water runoff.

Later in the season after the crop has canopied, he looks for persistent water issues. Ryan likes to use the drone to take full field photos, and overlay them maps of the fields’ soil types. After harvest, he compares the full field photos (foliage) and soil type maps with yield maps.

“I believe overlaying the maps helps me choose seed products on a field-by-field basis,” says Ryan. “We’ve been able to increase our yields in not only productive soils, but also the less productive, and more challenging soils.”

There isn’t much drainage tile in the Skaug’s area, but they installed grid tile on a 310-acre field with 80-foot line spacing. This particular field has multiple soil types. It also has very heavy underground water pressure because this parcel is so close to the ridge of the Red River Valley. The drain tile has allowed plants in this field to develop better roots and has increased overall crop health. In adverse years, they can see where the tile lines are by flying the drone.

With heavier soils in the Red River Valley, compaction is an ongoing battle. Drone images show the stressors of compaction.

“By flying the drone throughout the growing season, I’m able to see where some emergence may be uneven due to tillage compaction,” explains Ryan. “Compaction might results if a spring tillage pass was performed when the soil was too moist or the operator might have driven too fast or worked too deep. Some soils may allow the operator to work multiple passes before planting and not show any crop damage, while others may only allow a ‘one and done’ tactic.”

“The more we know about our fields and crops throughout the growing season, the more successful we will be in many years to come,” adds Ryan.