South African drone technology can help farmers reduce their reliance on chemicals to control pests on their crops by up to 30%. This will result in less stressed plants and a healthier harvest, says Jean Kuiper of Rosenhof Organic Farm, 70km south-east of Cape Town.
The farm produces organic vegetables, apples and pears, organic raspberries and also has free-range chickens. Kuiper uses drone technology from Aerobotics, a Cape Town-based firm, as a tool for improved agricultural outcomes. She said farmers understood the value of a scout as it reduced the chemical input by up to 30%.
Aerobotics is a data analytics company, which uses aerial imagery and machine learning algorithms to optimise crop performance for farmers around the world through its cloud-based web app Aeroview. Started in 2014 by founders Benjamin Meltzer and James Paterson, it claims to be setting the standard for crop analytics globally.
Source: iol.co.za
