Drones give farmers bird's-eye view of fields

It used to be that if you wanted to keep an eye on your crops, you had to have boots on the ground. But now farmers are experimenting with drones watching over their fields.

Tyler Burns saw many farmers posting pictures and videos from drones on social media, and this summer he thought he'd buy a drone to try it out.

"It's pretty spectacular what you can see from the air," Burns told CBC Radio Blue Sky host Garth Materie.

Burns said he decided to try out a consumer model to see what kind of applications it might have for his farm. He says he uses a joystick to control it, and is able to watch video on his phone. He has used it mostly for fun, but he says he can see this technology being very useful in the near future, as he tries to keep tabs on the 18,000 acres of land he helps farm at Windy Poplar Farms, near Wynyard, Sask.

It's pretty spectacular what you can see from the air.- Tyler Burns, farmer near Wynyard, SK

He said it could be especially useful for fields that are hard to get to, or for checking on hail damage in the middle of the field, for instance.

"This kind of technology can be really beneficial to the farmers and also to consumers because we can grow better crops so we can make more money and so people can get better food," Burns explained.

Burns said he can see this technology taking off as part of the precision agriculture movement. Drones could help farmers monitor fields, and avoid using pesticide and fertilizer where it is not needed. They could also give farmers more time.

"We're able to take these fancy technologies and make good use of them for growing our crops," he went on. "Especially when we're talking about farms that are getting much bigger with fewer managers and personnel, these are real time savers and helps us do our jobs."

For now, Burns likes having a bird's-eye view of his farm, while he plays with the drone and thinks about all the possibilities.