Stiles Farm Field Day features drone technology

by admin

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AgriLife researchers have come up with a new way to keep an eye on your crops…from the sky. The idea of using drone technology may sound far-fetched at first, however there may be good reason to put his bit of technology on your holiday wishlist.

The future of drone technology and its potential uses in Central Texas Blacklands farming operations were featured at the Stiles Farm Field Day held recently in Thrall.

The field day, conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, showcased the latest in technological advancements in field crop production.alexthomasson-300x200

“We want to introduce some of this technology and how you can apply it in your operation,” Bob Avant, director of AgriLife Research corporate relations in College Station, told attendees during the morning field demonstration.

Avant, Cope and Thomasson represent a team of scientists who are part of a larger set of UAV projects initiated by AgriLife Research. Stiles Farm Field Day attendees got a firsthand look at a UAV in action and its potential applications. One demonstration field included cotton infected with cotton root rot.

“You need to spend a couple of weeks learning how it works,” he said. “This technology is something that will be readily useful in the future and providingimages to make important decisions about what to do in the field.”

Nick-Roy-248x300Thomasson led a demonstration in a cotton field showing how the technology can be used to manage cotton root rot, a fungal disease leading to crop loss if left untreated. Dr. Dale Cope, associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, was joined by undergraduate students in leading the unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, demonstration.

The group demonstrated how to launch the autonomous aircraft, fly several circle patterns over the cotton field to
take digital images and make a proper landing.

Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension director for state operations in College Station, bobavant-3-200x300presented Stiles Farm Foundation scholarships to Emma-Leigh Coffman, Bell County, and Whitney Whitsel, Lee County.

The Stiles Farm Foundation was established by the Stiles family at Thrall in
Williamson County. According to the foundation, J.V. and H.A. Stiles wanted to commemorate their father, James E. Stiles, and the land he worked. They also wanted to help neighboring farmers and others throughout the Central Texas Blacklands region learn new farming practices.

To do so, in 1961 the Stiles Farm Foundation was established and became part of the Texas A&M University System. The farm is used by AgriLife Extension and AgriLife Research, which conduct field experiments and use the facility as a teaching platform.

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