A New Era for Agricultural Consulting: Data Collection Driven by Field Experts

Agricultural advisors today are no longer limited by expertise, but by time. Growers expect rapid answers, while problems rarely arise when an external service provider is available. Whether dealing with weed infestations, wildlife damage, or identifying within-field variability, effective decision-making always depends on access to the right information.

In practice, however, the greatest challenge is often not analysis or professional knowledge, but obtaining and processing data in a timely manner.

The bottleneck is not expertise, but timely data processing

Most agricultural advisors know exactly what information they need to understand a problem. The real question is how to obtain that information when it is needed.

Many advisors are familiar with the situation: during a weed survey or crop inspection, it becomes clear that a drone survey would be beneficial. The next step typically involves finding a service provider, scheduling a flight, handling administrative tasks, and waiting for the results. Amid day-to-day responsibilities, however, these tasks often fall down the priority list.

One practicing agricultural advisor described the experience as follows:

“Every morning, we agreed that we should start the weed survey, but somehow it kept getting postponed. There was never enough time to make phone calls, arrange contracts, or coordinate with the service provider.”

The issue was therefore not a lack of technology, but the complexity of the process.

A New Model for Agricultural Advisory Services

Over the past few years, drone technology has become significantly more accessible and easier to use. As a result, a new approach has emerged in which agricultural advisors are no longer merely clients of data collection services, but active participants in the process themselves.

The advisor plans the flight, carries out the data collection, and uploads the imagery to a unified processing platform. The result is more than just an orthomosaic image. It is a set of maps and analyses that directly support advisory decision-making.

Local Knowledge Meets Digital Analysis

One of the greatest advantages of this approach is that the advisor determines when the data is collected. Imagery is captured not when a service provider is available, but when the issue actually arises.

“Today, I can create a flight plan right at the edge of the field, launch the drone, and collect the data in about an hour. By the time I start work the next morning, the results are already available.”

At first glance, the difference may seem to be purely a matter of logistics. In practice, however, this flexibility makes it possible to conduct more surveys, make decisions faster, and leave fewer issues undiscovered.

Practical Applications

Identifying Weed Patches

A complete overview of the field allows agricultural advisors to work with comprehensive data rather than relying on randomly selected sample areas. Problematic patches can be identified quickly, making field inspections more targeted and efficient.

Verifying Field Boundaries and Cultivated Areas

High-resolution orthomosaic images provide an accurate representation of the areas actually under cultivation, supporting both documentation and field verification processes.

Topographic Analysis

Topographic conditions have a significant impact on water movement, soil erosion, and nutrient redistribution. Topographic models help reveal the underlying processes that often contribute to yield variability within a field. For a more detailed discussion of this topic, see our previous technical article: "Soil Is Not Static: Where Does the Nitrogen Go?"

Wildlife Damage Assessment

Wildlife damage assessment has traditionally required a significant investment of time. Field inspections often involve multiple experts visiting the same area to carry out on-site evaluations.

According to one practical example, a process that previously required several hours in the field can now be replaced by a drone flight lasting approximately one hour. The imagery is available by the next day, allowing experts to complete a substantial portion of the documentation based on digital data.

“In the past, a separate expert field inspection was required. Today, we carry out the flight, share the orthomosaic image, and the expert receives the necessary information the next day. There is no additional travel, no walking several kilometers through cornfields, yet the documentation is more detailed than before.”

Benefits for Agricultural Advisors

• Faster decision-making – data can be available as early as the next day.

• Greater flexibility – surveys can be conducted when issues arise.

• More surveys, less administration – no scheduling delays or lengthy coordination.

• Enhanced professional credibility – growers experience an immediate response.

• More targeted field inspections – the drone identifies critical areas in advance.

• Improved documentation – orthomosaics, maps, and analyses are available within a single system.

Today, speed and accuracy are at least as important as professional expertise.

DRONATION: A Practical Implementation of the Advisory Model

The DRONATION program has been developed specifically for agricultural advisors. Participants learn how to plan and conduct drone surveys and then evaluate the collected data through a standardised processing workflow.

The goal is not to turn every advisor into a drone service provider. The goal is to ensure that the required information is available precisely when the grower needs to make a decision.

The next stage in the evolution of precision advisory services may not necessarily be the introduction of new technological tools. Rather, it will depend on who can collect data the fastest, interpret it effectively, and transform it into value for their clients.

The question today is no longer whether drone surveys are necessary. The real question is who has access to them when they are actually needed.