The Future of

Automation in Agronomy
How Automation and Robotics Will Transform
the Agriculture Industry as We Know It
 Agriculture development was a pivotal
moment in history. Humans’ newfound
ability to engineer the environment to
produce enough food to sustain massive
population growth was the first profound
change in the relationship between
humans and the environment.
Since its first advancement, agriculture has propelled us
forward exponentially over the past 12,000 years, frequently
producing new technology and new ways of production. Finally,
however, we have hit a turning point: with a global population
projection of 9.7 billion people by 2050, agricultural production
must increase by at least 70% to serve our current nutritional
needs. Increasing production to that degree is no easy feat,
which is why many are turning to automation.

We’re on the cusp of a new industrial revolution with a

fundamental shift in agriculture and the industry as a whole.
Recent advancements in technologies ranging from sensors,
robotics, drones, and computer vision software have wholly
transformed modern agriculture as we know it. This ability to
automate labor will increase efficiency, enhance imaging and
planting, and reduce our carbon footprint. Using these tools,
farmers can meet the demands of our world’s ever-increasing
population.

In this eBook, you’ll learn about modern technological

advancements expediting worldwide agricultural shifts towards
automation, including:

h How Sensors Are Transforming the Automation

of Agriculture
h Robotics and Automated Labor in Agronomy
h Drones and Computer Vision Software for
Imaging, Planting, and More

LET’S GET STARTED.

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 2

 How Sensors Are Transforming the
Automation of Agriculture
Sensing technologies are essential tools being implemented into today’s agriculture
industry, providing data that allows farmers to monitor and optimize crops and adapt
to changing environmental factors at a moment’s notice. These sensors range from
location, optical, electrochemical, mechanical, dielectric soil moisture, airflow, and
agricultural weather stations – each sensor having an innate ability that is invaluable to
the industry. These abilities include GPS signals to determine precise positioning for
precision agriculture, light to determine soil matter, detecting ions to determine pH and
soil nutrient levels, measuring soil compaction, assessing soil moisture levels, and
estimating soil air permeability.

In addition, connecting these sensors with sample data allows for more targeted
applications to crops. The data collected will then go back to the farmer, where a
robotic team will traverse the fields, working autonomously to respond to the needs of
the crops, and perform weeding, watering, pruning, and harvesting functions guided by
their collection of sensors, navigation, and crop data. Thus, championing sensors as
the backbone of automation within agriculture.

These sensors
range from
location, optical,
electrochemical,
mechanical,
dielectric soil
moisture, airflow,
and agricultural
weather stations

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 3

 Robotics and Automated Labor in Agronomy
Replacing man with robotic labor has become an increasing trend in nearly every
industry, and agriculture is no exception to the rule. The farming industry is incredibly
labor-intense, and much of it is repetitive, making it the perfect niche for robotics and
automation. We have already seen agricultural robots appearing on farms performing
weeding, watering, pruning, and harvesting tasks. This new wave of robotics in the
industry makes it possible to produce more, higher-quality food with fewer human
resources.

Robotics and automation will entirely transform the sector, starting with seeding and
planting. For example, sowing seeds, which once was a laborious process, has become
much faster than manual labor with precision seeding equipment. This equipment
combines geomapping and sensor data, taking the guessing game out of the entire
process. As a result, this equipment allows for seeds to have the best chance for growth,
giving the overall crop a greater harvest and the potential to plant an entire field with
only a single human monitoring the process digitally. In addition, artificial intelligence
determines which seeds perform the best under certain conditions, planting multiple
seeds, for example, drought-tolerant corn or cotton, in various locations to see which will
perform the best in certain conditions.

The farming industry is incredibly labor-

intense, and much of it is repetitive, making it
the perfect niche for robotics and automation.
© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 4
 Moreover, with robotics and automation,
we can also use automatic watering and
irrigation by pairing subsurface drip irrigation
– an already prevalent irrigation method –
with sensors. With this technology, farmers
can continuously monitor moisture levels
and overall plant health without any manual
labor whatsoever. Additionally, robotics
and automation will reconstruct weeding
and crop maintenance as we know it. With
machines in the process of being built
that can detect weeds before removing
them, this will entirely replace the need for
humans to weed or monitor crops manually.
Furthermore, robotics can collect tissue
samples with similar machines to understand
nitrogen content, with the potential of
automated tractors, the first agricultural
machines to be converted.

The reaches of robotics and automation

don’t stop there. Robotics will soon be able
to harvest from fields, trees, and vines.
Harvesting has proven to be one of the most
challenging feats for robotic labor in the
agriculture industry. It requires knowing when
crops are ready, working around weather,
and completing the harvest in a limited
time window. With automation technology
and sensors, machines could automatically
harvest once conditions become ideal,
freeing farmers for other necessary tasks.
Developing technology capable of something
as tricky as picking fruit from trees is
where high-tech farming shines. Engineers
are working diligently at places such as
Panasonic to create a tomato-picking robot
that incorporates cameras and algorithms

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 5

 to identify a tomato’s color, shape, and location to
determine ripeness. The sole reason to incorporate
autonomous robotics into agriculture is to
reduce reliance on manual labor while increasing
efficiency, product yield, and quality. Farmers of
the future will be able to spend their time repairing
machinery, debugging coding, analyzing sensory
data, and planning farm operations without
wasting their time performing tedious acts in
the field.

Finally, and most importantly, the world is facing

a climate crisis, one that will not go away on
its own. Farm automation practices can make
agriculture more profitable and efficient while
also reducing the ecological footprint of farming.
For example, site-specific application software
Stand Count - Corn

Stand Count Report

can reduce pesticides and fertilizers used while
Crop Report Plan - 05/10/2021 reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the help
Pilot: Kyle Miller (Demo) Images Captured: 64 Flight Plan: Crop Report Acres: 36 of robotics and automation, reducing emissions
Site Population Summary
will lower one of the most carbon-heavy industries
Median Population Crop Type
in the world.
26,000/ac Corn

Farm automation
Median Spacing Median Gap Count

6.35" 8,021/ac

Map No Data Available

practices can
make agriculture
more profitable
and efficient while
also reducing the
ecological footprint
of farming.

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 6

 Drones and Computer Vision Software For
Imaging, Planting, and More
Since drones have a bird’s-eye view of plant health and soil conditions and generate
maps to guide robotics and automation technology, farmers are no longer limited to
visible light and still photography. Drone technology captures standard images,
infrared, ultraviolet, and even hyperspectral imaging while also recording video. This
vast array of imaging enables farmers to collect more detailed data on their fields
than ever before, allowing them to monitor crop health, assess soil quality, and plan
planting locations to optimize both resources as well as land use. With the ability to
regularly perform these field surveys, farmers can plan for seed growing patterns,
irrigation, and location mapping in 2D and 3D. With the data that drones collect,
farmers can entirely optimize their land and crop management; however, it isn’t just
the imaging capabilities of drones from which the industry benefits. Drones are
useful for conducting assessments, crop spraying, and real-time monitoring
and analysis.

Due to drones’ aerial capabilities, drones conduct incredible stand assessments.

Through these assessments, farmers can see whether or not they need to replant
parts of their field due to overwatering following a rainstorm. Contrary to the hours
or days it takes with traditional methods; one can conduct a stand count in minutes,
with drone technology’s ability to cover up to 100 acres in 15 minutes. Following the

Contrary to the hours

or days it takes with
traditional methods;
one can conduct a
stand count in
minutes, with drone
technology’s ability to
cover up to 100 acres
in 15 minutes.

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 7

 stand assessment, machines can be dispatched to
different field parts to automatically replant those
sections of the area where crop emergence was not
as prevalent. Eventually, artificial intelligence will make
specific recommendations about the evidence pulled
from stand assessments, thus fully automating
the process.

Moreover, drones can perform crop spraying

applications, which offers the agriculture industry
another chance to automate an extremely laboring
task. With GPS, laser measurement, and ultrasonic
positioning, crop-spraying drones can adjust for
altitude, location, wind speed, topography, and
geography, enabling drones to perform efficient crop
spraying applications with greater accuracy and less
waste than manual applications. Lastly, drones can
conduct remote monitoring and analysis of fields and
crops, utilizing a small fleet of drones rather than
traditional methods. A large team of workers could
spend hours traveling across the area to check crop
conditions manually. Farmers can conduct a stand
assessment, review the data, and make trips out to
the fields where specific issues require their attention,
rather than wasting time, effort, and money by tending
to healthy plants with no foreseen issues. Drones’
ability to aid in the agriculture industry’s efficiency will
help create higher crop production, increased
availability, and higher food quality – all necessities
when facing the issue of our ever-increasing
population.

© 2021 DroneDeploy The Future of Automation in Agronomy | 8

 While we may be in the early stages of farm automation
technology, automation has managed to become the face of
our fourth industrial revolution and create a fundamental shift
in our agricultural system. It will offer us a path towards
sustainable and more efficient agriculture. With advancements
in sensors, robotics, drones, and computer vision software, we
see a transformation in modern agriculture as we know it. With
automated labor, seeding and planting, watering and irrigation,
weeding and crop maintenance, harvesting, imaging, crop
spraying, and finally, real-time monitoring and analysis –
farmers will meet the demands of our world’s population
projection by 2050.

If you’re interested in learning more about drone use in

agronomy, watch our free webinar on leveraging precision
agriculture technology to drive mid-season ROI, or contact us.

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