Drones For Agriculture

The grants cover up to 40% of the total costs of UAVs, or specialist sensors, which can capture data in order to detect disease and weeds, monitor crop green leaf areas or estimate crop yields.

“The Countryside Productivity Grant offers a real boost to this developing industry,” said Steve Keyworth, URSULA Agriculture director. “More and more businesses are seeing the value of aerial crop data and how it can help maximize crop performance, however the sector needs this kind of investment to expand.”

Arable and horticultural farmers can apply for a grant to pay for remote crop sensors, through the Countryside Productivity Scheme.

This grant is part of the Countryside Productivity Scheme.

Grants can cover up to 40% of the total eligible costs of a project. This grant is a small grant, which means applicants can only apply for between £2,500 and £35,000.

Applicants can apply for funding for:
- an unmanned robotic aerial vehicle, such as a drone;
- a mounted sensor, or
- software that analyses the data collected to help with crop management.

Sensors can be mounted on tractors or unmanned vehicles to:
- detect disease and weeds
- monitor crop green leaf areas
- assess how much fertilizer is needed
- detect water stress, or
- estimate or monitor a crop yield

Source :https://www.gov.uk/