ND ag official: Drones have 'unlimited potential' in farming, ranching

North Dakota has long been known to those living on the more populated U.S. coasts as being in the middle of “flyover country,” but the state could soon give a brand-new meaning to the term. Speaking for the first time publicly on the topic, North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said the use of unmanned aerial vehicles could eventually change the way growers approach the business of farming – and he said the shift could come sooner rather than later. “In the last five years, ever since I’ve stepped into office, I’ve been contacted by and worked with four different companies about UAVs and their potential,” said Goehring during an interview earlier this month. “The use of UAVs is being discussed on many different scales. There is unlimited potential.” Though drones are already being used by some farmers, mostly to monitor their acreage, Goehring said UAVs could be on the verge of being used on a wider scale for advanced disease detection, pest mitigation, crop mapping and to develop complex algorithms, all in an effort to maximize yields and improve productivity...more