Last week I wrote about drones delivering medicine in Virginia; this week I learned about what’s happening in Minnesota through The Daily – the University of Minnesota newspaper…

David Mulla, director for the University’s Precision Agriculture Center — the first of its kind in the world — said researchers and farmers are increasingly using precision agriculture technology. He said use of robots offers greater flexibility for farmers, allowing them to monitor small areas in fields.

“Precision agriculture is in the top 10 revolutions for agriculture,” Mulla said.

Jonathan Chaplin, a professor in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, said precision agriculture’s main purpose is to reduce costs and the environmental impacts from farming.

“I use drones because they are relatively inexpensive nowadays. But there are limits to what you can do with them and what they can see or measure,” Chaplin said.

Drones allow farmers to tailor the amount of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides they use, which can have a negative impact on the environment. Using the technology allows farmers to monitor the use of fertilizer, he said.