Drones will fly into farming

A two kilometre high and 18km long feral, predator proof fence is being erected on a 850 hectare traditional sheep grazing property, Tiverton, Dundonnell, in western Victoria to protect native species that are being threatened by introduced species such as cats and foxes.

Property manager Tim Hill, who attended a drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), in agriculture course at South West TAFE, Hamilton, last week, said drones could be used to help recover threatened native marsupials and birds at the conservation property.

"We have such a huge problem with species extinction, unless we take some dramatic measures we are going to be left with an empty, sterile landscape," Mr Hill said.

"We have the highest incident of species extinction in Australia – a notorious reputation to have and largely due to cats and foxes predation."

He said conservationists were looking at whether drones fitted with infrared cameras could detect the predators around the fence.

Farmers from South Australia and throughout Victoria attended the first introductory workshop which showed on-farm opportunities with drones valued from $99 to more than $50,000.

Brad Henderson, South West TAFE, believes drones, as well as robotics, would play an integral part in primary production in the near future.

"The thing about this course is not just about drones, drones are a part of the robotics, these technologies are coming to agriculture," Mr Henderson said.

"These things are coming and the point of the course is to help people be ready for it, so Australia doesn't get left behind because we have to remain competitive by complementing existing workforce and (technology uptake) means employees will be utilised in higher value ways."

Mr Henderson said farmers were interested in using drones for observation including to monitor lambing without disrupting sheep to more technical uses including monitoring crops yields and germination.

"I think the technology is advancing every day and as drones are able to fly further to capture more data and as it becomes easier to manage that data, these things will become something that is ubiquitous with farming, particularly broad acre production," he said.

"It will become a part of daily farm operations."