Precision Agriculture

By Maggie MacHale

Farmers today face mounting pressures, from persistent labor shortages to the growing impacts of climate change. With demand for higher yields and fewer inputs intensifying, many in agriculture are turning to technology as a critical tool for resilience and efficiency.

Artificial intelligence( AI) is no longer just a gadget. When paired with agricultural drones, it is proving to be a transformative force, shifting farming from reactive to predictive. Large-scale operations and technology providers are leading this movement, demonstrating how drones can be used to their full advantage.

Labor availability has thrown a wrench into some operations, notes Roberto Villalobos Slon, agriculture manager at Dole Hawaii.

“ Pineapple operations in Hawaii have been forced to downsize. This trend has pushed us to look for more efficient ways of farm management, where new technology plays a critical role,” Villalobos Slon said.

“ As part of these efforts, precision agriculture has been the way to go, and drones have become a key factor in this strategy, considering their broad range of agricultural applications.”

While large growers such as Dole are adopting drones as part of their precision agriculture strategy, cost and technical expertise can be barriers for many operations. To address this, ZenaTech’ s subsidiary, ZenaDrone, offers drones-as-a-service( DaaS), giving farmers access through subscription or payper-use models. The company specializes in multifunctional, autonomous AI drones. By using DaaS, farmers avoid the high upfront costs of hardware, the need to hire pilots or the burden of regulatory certifications.

Simon Henry, vice president of business development at ZenaDrone, explained the company’ s outlook on ag drones:“ The expansion of ZenaTech’ s DaaS services into agriculture was driven by a mix of macro trends( climate, digitalization, costs) and specific farmer needs( efficiency, early problem detection, compliance). Together, these forces transformed drones from a novelty into an essential agricultural tool.”

Put it to Use

Ag drones can benefit operations of all sizes, adapting to specific needs. Most models offer aerial imaging and mapping for high-resolution field views, multispectral and thermal sensing to detect crop stress, precision spraying for targeted inputs and advanced AI functions such as data processing, predictive analytics and autonomous flight planning.

According to Henry,“ Drones act as the high-resolution intelligence layer in the precision agriculture stack, bridging satellites, sensors and farm management software into one seamless decision-making system.”

Multispectral imagery allows AI to detect nutrient deficiencies, disease or pest damage early, providing precise recommendations before issues escalate. Thermal sensors aid irrigation management by assessing soil moisture levels, which AI integrates into

10 | 515-574-2206 | 515-574-2189 | September 2025