ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University's 1890 Research and Extension program has been awarded a three year, $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This technology grant will provide participating farmers throughout the state access to drones to help with data collection.
Doctor Joshua Idassi is the program leader for the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources program at South Carolina State University and says drones will help with farming production.
"By looking at drone pictures, drone maps, drone generated maps, farmers with their property can look at their land,” said Dr. Idassi. “And see the value their holding and that can help them make decisions on how to utilize their land."
Dr. Idassi says the pictures captured by the drones will also help farmers to see where they can improve production.
"When its harvesting time we can send this little fellow flying to different corners of the farm, take good pictures, and bring them back,” said Dr. Idassi. “And then we can say oh that corner we need to do something right away because things are changing so fast and because of the soil types we can see all the various of how production is going on in the field."
South Carolina State University's 1890 Research and Extension program hopes by that by the end of the grant, farmers who participated will have become more efficient with higher yields and increased profits.