A contour survey is a way to easily visually understand the vertical and horizontal shape (the “topography”) of your land. By understanding the land contours, you can easily visualise or map how water will flow over the property when it rains, where it will collect, where it might erode the soil and many other important water flow characteristics, where to build access roads and how to farm your property along the contours. From this simple base, you can even develop water flow models, stream maps and determine the best places to create dams and silt traps. Do contour surveys need […]
Category: blog
News and views about the commercial drone services industry in Australia and specific uses of drone technologies, by Tony Gilbert, CEO of Queensland Drones.
Post Emergence Multispectral Crop Surveys
How to Rapidly Audit your Crop Planting Investment As identified by McCaine et al (University of Mississippi, 2019), “Plant density estimation during the emergence phase is critical for early-season decision making. Estimation of both crop and weed density is critical for addressing early season issues. Mapping of weeds in crops at any stage can be useful; however, early competition from weeds is frequently most detrimental to yield.” Planting new crops, especially in times of climate uncertainty, is a risky investment. It pays to make sure your new planting investment has produced the results you expected, and be able to take […]
Why Multispectral Mapping beats NDVI
Getting the Right Management Insights at the Right Time Why is multispectral mapping so important? Because decision-making is not about pretty pictures, it’s about having the right data for the right job and empowering you to grow the healthiest crops you can. NDVI was good technology 30 years ago when the first Landsat satellites were launched, but there are so many more practical analysis options for Rededge Multispectral mapping data. It has even been shown that in some situations, using NDVI alone can result in false indications. Light conditions also affect how NDVI mapping is interpreted, which can also result […]
How (not) to make your fortune as a drone pilot
About three years ago now, the Australian edition of the Huffington Post online newspaper claimed that being a drone pilot would be the “job of the future” and that drone pilots could expect to earn $100,000 to $150,000 a year. This claim, and others like it, set a lot of people on the path to getting the Remote Aircraft Pilot’s licence (RePL) and/or their Remote Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ReOC). (If you like this article, please give us some love on Facebook by commenting, sharing or at least giving us a “Like” for our trouble… if you’re in need of drone […]
Drones boost construction industry competitiveness
As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on how the use of drones is changing the construction industry, especially in the large commercial development sector. 2018 has brought major changes to construction workflows and processes that have seen drones move from the realm of the curious to essential tools in the workplace. As 2018 opened, we were having conversations with construction project managers about using drones on major development sites, but the objectives and outcomes were experimental, exploratory, far from having any measurable benefits or values. Perhaps we could see if excavations have breached site boundary levels? […]
Why is soil conductivity mapping so important to farmers?
The factors that drive Soil EC also drive Soil Productivity Soil conductivity testing and mapping is a proven technology that’s been around for decades. Farmers and growers, crop consultants, nutrient suppliers, agronomists and soil scientists around the world use EM/EC soil testing and soil conductivity mapping in conjunction with physical soil testing and vegetation analysis to manage how they choose which areas will produce the best outcomes for a particular crop, how much seed to sow in each specific area according to the soil type characteristics, how much water to give the crop and what nutrients the soil will need […]
Soil conductivity mapping key to understanding variability
Variability in soil types across a field can be one of the biggest factors in variability of crop yield. Soil salinity, texture, water content and the soil’s ability to hold and use vital nutrients all contribute to crop variability across a field. Now growers can develop accurate maps of soil characteristics across a field, or across an entire farm, thanks to a new on-farm service developed by Queensland Drones, a Queensland-owned precision agriculture service provider. “Electromagnetic Conductivity (EC) soil mapping is a trusted one-off investment in the knowledge needed by growers to understand and respond to soil variability and develop […]
Drones and Privacy – Your Rights
Quick Summary: There are essentially no privacy rules applying to drone use in Australia at this time. If you believe you are being “stalked” or someone is using a drone to plan a crime, call the Police on 131444. If you believe a drone is being used illegally, report it to CASA. As a busy commercial drone operator, I am often asked about peoples’ right to privacy when drones are flying around them, and it is even, on occasion, suggested that I am invading someone’s privacy by flying a drone near them. So I’d like to clarify your right to […]
So you wanna be a drone pilot?
The Definitive Guide to Commercial UAV Operations in Australia UPDATED 19 FEB 2020 If you are an electrical engineer or have significant experience in the electrical transmission, renewable energy, construction engineering or oil and gas industry sectors, and wanting to be a commercial drone pilot, please contact Tony ([email protected]) to discuss current employment opportunities in Qld, NSW and Victoria. If you’ve arrived at this page looking for professional aerial imaging and aerial mapping services, please take a look at our list of Services to find out more about Queensland Drones or Contact us for an obligation-free discussion about your needs. […]
One in three farmers are using drones
Are you still sitting on the fence wondering if drones are going to be useful on your farm? You might well risk being left behind. A new Pulse survey by the US Farm Journal magazine has discovered that 33% of all US farmers are using, or are planning to use, drones to help manage their crops this year. The Pulse survey of more than 1000 US farmers asked a very simple question … “Will you use a drone in your operations this year?”. One third of all respondents said they would use a drone, while another 31% said they would […]
