Drones burst onto the agricultural scene in 2015 with a lot of "hype and excitement," but then investment in drone development fell 68 per cent in 2016 says Wes Lefroy.
Rabobank's Agricultural Analyst Lefroy caught up with The Country's Jamie Mackay for a look at the evolution of drones and what's next for drone technology.
Drones are actively being used in cropping and pasture monitoring says Lefroy and in the future they will be developed in the spraying of crops.
In Australia where Lefroy is based, drones are being used as a form of on farm surveillance and irrigation management in the horticulture sector.
In the future drone camera sensors will be able to identify variations in crops and pastures that can't be identified by the human eye says Lefroy, although the development he is most excited by is automated drones that can control and fly themselves.