ATLANTA, Ind. — When a farmer in southern Indiana had downed corn last fall because of a storm, it looked fine from the road and spotting damage did not give a good estimate of loss for insurance adjusters.

 

Agronomists at Beck’s Hybrids, the largest family-owned retail seed company in the United States, helped by sending up an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone, to take snapshots of the field and assess the percentage of loss. “I think we were way ahead of other seed dealers in using this (technology), especially on this scale,” said Jim Love, Beck’s light robotics manager. “At Beck’s, we’re committed to using agricultural innovations to help our customers succeed.”

  

With the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) recent introduction of Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations for non-hobbyist small unmanned aircraft systems operations, Beck’s – based in central Indiana – moved quickly to certify their employees. They also ensure that employees are operating UAVs safely and have the most up-to-date training. Now Beck’s is partnering with Indiana State University’s UAV training program to teach pilots to operate UAVs within FAA regulations. Under the partnership, Beck’s will have pilots FAA-certified to assist customers with scouting their crops throughout the growing season.

 

Fifty Beck’s dealers and employees have already completed the two-day certification program at the Terre Haute campus. “Through the use of UAVs, we’re able to help customers determine cropping patterns and identify issues within their fields,” Love explained.

 

 ISU has a history in aviation excellence which, combined with its unmanned systems program, made it a perfect partner for this program. ISU is ranked one of the Top Five Best Drone Training Colleges in the United States by Drone Training HQ.

 

In an effort to continue supporting ISU in training future UAV pilots, Beck’s has donated a commercial UAV for use in the unmanned systems program.

 

“The Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 rule has created quite a demand for trained and knowledgeable remote pilots, or small UAS operators,”  said Richard Baker, executive director of the Center for Unmanned Systems andHuman Capital Development.

 

“ISU is excited about our partnership with Beck’s and we wish them great success. Our faculty and students see this relationship as another way to demonstrate the capabilities of small UAS and their potential impact in food production.”

 

These UAVs weigh only 3 pounds and use a single battery. According to CNN, more than 770,000 civilian drones were registered with the FAA as of March, though FAA estimated more than 1.1 million had been sold in the United

States alone in 2016.