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Re:Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the ... by HeyLaughingBoy on Thursday June 20, 2024 @04:03PM (#40742735)
Yeah, and I think you're right. I hadn't even given any thought to the massive weight of the water tank you'd need to do this. I was thinking of it more like a sprayer, which requires a much smaller volume to be useful.
Re:Agricultural drones are transforming rice farming in the ... by tomhoward on Thursday June 20, 2024 @04:57PM (#40743279)
The other issue is the ability to respond to extreme heat quickly enough.

We work with fruit growers in South Eastern Australia where temperatures routinely hit high 30s and even low-mid 40s (°C) a few days each year.

Those growers want to see our soil moisture data readings updated every 15 minutes so they can turn the drippers on very quickly as soon as the soil starts drying out rapidly.

It would just be too slow to rely on robots driving up and down the rows in those conditions.