Measurements of Storm Damage on Agricultural Fields Using Drone Technology

One of the realities of farming is the unpredictability of the weather. Storms and weather events such as hurricanes, hail, or drought can cause significant damage to crops throughout the year. Overly wet conditions can prevent access to the fields delaying planting in the spring or preventing harvesting in the fall, drought prevents the proper growth of the crops reducing yield, and severe weather can outright damage and destroy otherwise healthy fields. In this session, we will look at methods to measure the extent of damage in agricultural fields after significant weather events and briefly explore how those results could inform future decisions. Measurements of Storm Damage on Agricultural Fields Using Drone Technology imageLuke Meloche is an experienced RPAS Pilot and GIS Technician working for the University of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Research Lab. Luke joined the lab in 2019 and performed hundreds of RPAS operations largely focused on data collection for coastal erosion monitoring and precision agriculture. Luke has a background in GIS and Communication Studies holding a GIS Applications Specialist Certificate from Sir Sandford Fleming College and a Bachelor of Communications Studies from the University of Windsor.