Business and Economy

Farmers Turn To Drones For Field Operations

Published September 18, 2015 at 11:30 AM CDT

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A hexacopter drone is flown in a demonstration at a farm and winery in Cordova, Maryland. The small, relatively inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles could replace humans in a variety of ways around large farms, transmitting detailed information about crops, directing farmers to problem spots and cutting down on the amount of water and chemicals used. (Alex Brandon/AP)

The Federal Aviation Administration recently came out with regulations about drones — aircrafts that can fly without a pilot on board.

The FAA says drones must be five miles away from an airport at all times and fly no higher than 400 feet. Those regulations are lenient enough that farmers and ranchers are starting to find ways to integrate this new technology into their work.

Brenda Salinas, a Here & Now contributor, reports from Bay City, Texas.

Reporter

Brenda Salinas, reporter and producer. She tweets @brendapsalinas.