Drone Technology Could Be the Future of Field Management, Say Experts in Strategic Farming Webinar

Drones are offering new eyes in the sky for Minnesota farmers—and new tools for precision agriculture.
The topic took center stage during the latest session of the University of Minnesota Extension’s Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops! webinar series on March 19. Guests included Ryan Huffman of Iowa State’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab and Jorden Kuntz, founder of Biosphere Drone Solutions, alongside UMN Extension crops educator Ryan Miller.
The panel discussed the ways drone technology is changing the game in row crop agriculture—from mapping and diagnosing crop problems to applying crop protection products.
Drone-mounted sensors capture near-infrared and visible light, which are stitched into high-resolution field maps to highlight variations in plant health. That data, including metrics like NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), helps farmers identify problem areas in a field and make in-season decisions about replanting, applying fungicides, or adjusting fertilizer rates.
Kuntz explained that spray drones allow for more flexible application timing, especially when wet soil conditions make it difficult to get large rigs in the field.
Huffman added, “When soil is saturated, it takes time for the soil to dry enough to get a 50,000-pound sprayer across a field to make a herbicide application.”
Drone applications are still being studied for efficacy, but software allows farmers to adjust spray speed, droplet size, swath width, and height—offering a fine-tuned alternative to ground or aerial rigs.
The session was part of the 2025 Strategic Farming series, which wraps up this month.