— 18 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 201 — Autumn 2019 — 18 IREC Farmers’ Newsletter No. 201 — Autumn 2019 Drones at the service of agriculture QUICK TAKE l  Drones are handy and valuable tools, especially for precision agriculture. l  The development of new sensors opens the doors to new applications of drones in agriculture. l  Australia’s safety rules must be followed when operating drones—even on your own land. Carlos Ballester and John Hornbuckle Centre for Regional and Rural Futures Deakin University, Griffith, NSW IMAGE: NDVI map (left) and temperature map (right) of a 9.1 hectare cherry orchard at Griffith, obtained with a Matrice 100 drone at 120 metres above ground level. The high NDVI areas have higher canopy temperatures than other areas indicating water stress in these areas due to under-irrigation. DRONES AT THE SERVICE OF AGRICULTURE