Drones to be Among Featured Topics at Sept. 6 Purdue Extension Crops Field Day

From farmers to those simply interested in technology, attendees will gain more insight into how UAVs are becoming more present within agriculture as well as other areas.
From farmers to those simply interested in technology, attendees will gain more insight into how UAVs are becoming more present within agriculture as well as other areas.

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), will be one of the topics of discussion at Purdue University Extension’s annual Crop Field Day, to be hosted this year on Sept. 6. At this event, attendees will get a better idea of how UAVs work and play a role in today’s agricultural industry.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council are sponsoring this year’s event, which will be hosted at the Beck Agricultural Center, located at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education.

"Our field day is not only suited for farmers and crop advisers, but for anyone who wants to learn about some of the latest technology that will have a significant impact in agriculture and broadly across other sectors," said Karen Mitchell, Tippecanoe County Purdue Extension director and agriculture and natural resources educator. "UAV technology has advanced beyond being of use only to researchers; it is a practical decision-making tool for farmers from any size operation, who can now view their fields from different perspectives in a short amount of time."

The event is slated to begin with check-in at 7:30 a.m. and conclude by 1:30 p.m. Mark Carter, Purdue Extension Delaware County agriculture and natural resources educator, will lead the discussion on UAVs beginning at 8:15 a.m. Professors from the extension will host crop updates and hot topics throughout the afternoon.

More information on the annual Crop Field Day can be found by contacting Karen Mitchell at mitcheka@purdue.edu.