A Binghamton student researcher has been using drones to check crop stress in upstate New York, working with local farmers to identify problems before the plants cannot recover.
Samantha Wong, an environmental science major and GIS minor, used drones to monitor the health of crops last summer.
A plant’s health isn’t always immediately apparent, and sometimes when the sickness is visible, it’s too late to save it. Farmers can lose large amounts of crops before being able to take any action. For small farmers like the ones Wong partnered with, the loss of any crops has a deep effect on their livelihood.
Wong worked at Shared Roots, a family-owned organic farm in Cortland county. Her drones were equipped with imaging sensors and flown over the crops to test for Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR). Plants that are considered stressed or unhealthy reflect less light and ultimately measure lower on the index. The organic farm acted as an ideal control for her data.
“I honestly didn’t realize I’d be doing this much computer work at first,” Wong says. “Trial and error has been the best way to learn, even though it can be a bit time consuming.”
Continue reading at Binghamton University
Image via Binghamton University
