Drones have evolved to become more capable of complex jobs but now at a lower price than ever before. Beck’s has developed partnerships with multiple companies that can both supply hardware like DJI, but also supply programing with Drone deploy. Offering drones and drone training is just another way Beck's helps farmers succeed.

Recently we have entered into an agreement with Sentera, a Minneapolis based company that does both. This allows us to offer farmers more choices in the technology space, much like we can offer in the seed industry. 

DJI still appears to have a significant advantage over other drone manufactures in the marketplace when it comes to a simple and dependable operation. The Phantom 4 will be the main work horse Beck’s precision farming team will be using as look toward the 2019 growing season.

Sentera

We have entered into an agreement with Sentera, a company based out of Minnesota that specializes in making sensors that can be mounted affordable on the Phantoms we have for sale through Beck’s or to a farmers’ existing unit at an affordable cost. Last fall, our research team had good success with the double 4K on an Inspire model. Most recently, we have been using the population tool from Sentera and are having great success with the process. The speed of operation makes this tool very valuable in making decisions associated with plant stands. Within 30 minutes, this tool can provide a yield report that displays one count per acre on a 100-acre field. The volume of the data points will allow for a very comprehensive evaluation of early-season stands.

Sentera’s Population Tool

Drone Deploy

Drone Deploy has made great strides in the fast stich version of their product. The image appears on the IPad nearly as fast as it was taken. The fast stich version also has the capability to NDVI at the field side in the quick version. This will deliver the most real time information we have ever had in the field. They have also added a new feature that allows you to take the small preview pane that was in the corner and toggle it to a full screen view. This allows users to view their fields in real time as the flight is occurring. The instant stich allows you to toggle back to the orthomosaic at any time. Unfortunately, Drone Deploy has once again changed their marketing plan and will no longer offer monthly subscription, but rather a one-year subscription is offered to acquire and store data.

Credit: Drone Deploy

DJI equipment

Beck’s has a good supply of DJI equipment available for purchase in the Country Store. This includes Sparks, Mavic Pro’s and Phantom 4 pros. We are extremely price competitive within the market and have the opportunity to offer a better warranty and more convenience and will also help with equipment set up and training.

Mission for Success

As drones continue to become more and more mainstream, their inclusion in precision farming models will allow farmers to make more informed decisions. As with many other products, it’s our goal to test, evaluate, and train farmers how to use this technology. Helping customers decrease cost, increase revenue and improve their work flow is our ultimate goal. Drones and drone training are just another tool that we offer to help do that. 

Jim Love hosting a UAV Training

Beck’s Intern Baileigh Horstmeier viewing plots with
Beck’s dealer Kenny Tebbe and his daughter Makayla