AV News: Drones Help Farmers Save Water

One of the biggest industries for drone potential is farming and agriculture. One California farm has found a critical use for bringing those two things together.

Danny Royer has only been working at Bowles Farm for eight months, but in that time, he has been able to infuse a lot of technology with agriculture. With the help of a thermal camera attached to a drone, he has captured some behind-the-scenes analytical data.
“I look at all the pieces of the farm and what tech exists or what tech is emerging that we can take advantage of. Everything at this stage is data, where can we collect data, what can we use, what tools exist to collect data.
My brain went to if I can see heat signature and if I can see temperature, I can see a leak. So it just kinda naturally happened, and the first time it clicked was when we got out there and flew and we’re like ‘Oh, this really is there. This is real.’"
The Bowles Farm mostly focusses on produce and cotton, with a few other crops in rotation. Farming in California comes with some added challenges, namely annual droughts that have plagued farmers for decades. To the Bowles Farm, water is their greatest and most crucial asset.
“70% of the farm is on subsurface drip irrigation, which means about 12” underground we have a drip tape with mitters and water is being emitted right at the root structure. You know the drip irrigation is a big deal and one of the things we’re using the drone for is identifying when those systems aren’t operating correctly.
And the thermal camera on the drone is really shedding some light on that.”
With 12,000 acres of land, every drop of leaked water adds up. Through their analytic data, Danny estimates that the water they can save from leakage is equivalent to the amount of water that 550 families of four would use in one year.
“Through this tech, we can identify that spot and prioritize the irrigator and his time to fix that leak. Where otherwise it wouldn’t be fixed. And by fixing those leaks, and actually prioritizing those leaks, we feel that we say it conserves enough water to do the 550 family for a year.”
Everyone at the Bowles is excited to be at the crossroads of drone technology and agriculture. Thanks to drones, Danny sees the Bowles Farm as a leader in a new era of farming.
"We want to build the model for others to find. I look at climate change and I look at environmental systems and I look at whats going on in the world and the industry that has the opportunity to have the greatest impact is AG. Ultimately the ability to identify where the leak is, and to prioritize which leaks to fix first…there’s a lot of water to be saved there."

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