Drones track drought threat to sugarcane

The Fiji Sugar Corporation is using drones, satellite imagery and digital farm mapping to detect drought stress earlier and improve forecasts of sugarcane production.

FSC says the technology will help identify farms affected by dry conditions and provide growers, government and the sugar industry with more accurate information to guide their response.

The corporation is combining drone surveys and satellite data with assessments by farm advisors across all cane sectors and historical production records.

As of September, FSC had digitally mapped 70 percent of cane farms, with full coverage targeted by November. The exercise will verify farm boundaries and the area under cane cultivation.

FSC says the digital maps will also be made available through its Grower Portal App, allowing farmers to access their farm maps and update their information.

The corporation has collected data from more than 4,000 farms, including cane height, stalk thickness and the number of stalks per metre. This information will support crop modelling and production forecasts.

Using geographic information systems and remote sensing, FSC plans to produce crop forecasts, identify unusual crop conditions and issue drought alerts.

The system will also use vegetation health and soil moisture indicators to monitor crop conditions across individual farms and wider cane-growing areas.

FSC states the technology will also help assess damage from cyclones and waterlogging, allowing the industry to identify potential losses and respond more quickly to threats to sugarcane production.