Global potato processor McCain Foods is using drone technology to monitor potato fields, with the help of the cameras and sensors drones use.

“We can integrate a lot of different data streams from drones and field sensors and package it into a system to help benefit growers and companies like McCain,” said Peter Goggin of Resson Aerospace, in a video news story featured on CTV News.

This way, potato farmers will be able to get information ranging from the distribution of moisture in the soil, to forecasts about how much a crop may actually produce.

“Our system can generate a weekly report on the crop health so we tell them everything they need to know, exactly what’s happening on the crop in order to optimise the operation, improve their efficiencies and really help towards maximising the profit,” said Goggin.

Potato famers who identify a form of disease on at least part of their crop may feel compelled to spray the entire field, but with drone technology, farmers can pinpoint exactly where the problem is. “So, instead of putting it all over the farm, we can spot spray,” he added. “This reduces the cost of spraying to the farmer and greatly reduces the environmental degradation.”

The provincial government and McCain Foods will contribute USD 5 million to the five-year drone project, which the company says will benefit all farmers in New Brunswick.

“It’s going to allow us to hopefully improve the quality and size of the crops we’re getting, and that means lower costs, more competitive costs and more business,” said Allison McCain of McCain Foods Ltd.

The drones will begin gathering information to help farmers ahead of this year’s harvest.