Costs of Using Unmanned Aircraft on Crop Farms

Date
2016Author
Ireland-Otto, Nancy
Ciampitti, Ignacio A.
Blanks, Mark T.
Burton, Robert O. Jr.
Balthazor, Travis
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Excitement is high about the potential uses of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in agriculture. We budgeted the costs of high-yield, non-irrigated corn production on two fields on a “representative” farm located in Northeastern Kansas. One complete pass over each field was completed. The representative farm will use a manned aerial system (MAS) or UAS and visual inspection and soil/tissue tests to determine whether and where a nitrogen deficiency is occurring. Our analysis suggests that UAS is less costly than MAS. The authors expect the costs of UAS and MAS to decrease in the future.