Better farming with drones

Hubertus Paetow’s new work tool is a drone.

Technology is part of everyday work life for this farmer and drone enthusiast from north-eastern Germany, who relies heavily on computers, GPS control technology and data networking.

Equipped with a digital camera controlled by his mobile phone, his drone provides valuable information: “I just enter the outline of my field into my mobile phone – just a rough outline. Then the app automatically calculates the best flight path for the drone, the shortest route,” he explains.

The images provided by the drone show elements that would otherwise go unseen, enabling Paetow to treat his field accordingly.

“These lighter spots on the picture show a mouse infestation,” he explains, pointing at the picture taken by the drone on a screen, “which you can control if you know exactly where the mice are. Here there is an area where these yellow spots indicate that there is a lice infestation. In the autumn, we didn’t treat this area against lice, an