New Drone System Checks Nitrate Levels in Remote Waterways.
Researchers at Iowa State University have developed a new “lab-on-a-drone” system that can test remote farm waterways for nitrate levels in only a few minutes.
The new technology helps solve a common problem in agriculture, where drainage tiles from farm fields release water into hard-to-reach streams and shallow waterways.
Testing these locations is important because high nitrate levels can affect drinking water supplies and damage aquatic ecosystems. Nitrates are also linked to marine dead zones, where oxygen levels become too low for aquatic life.
The drone can fly to remote drainage outlets, collect water samples with a pump and hose, test the sample through an onboard sensing system, record nitrate levels, clean the system, and move to the next site in about seven minutes.
“The user-friendly, cost-effective, and energy-efficient payload enables real-time sensing, allowing researchers to map nutrient concentrations and helping farmers determine whether fertilizer is being effectively retained in the field or lost to surrounding waterways – an evaluation critical for both economic and environmental sustainability,” says a team of Iowa State University researchers led by Jonathan Claussen.
The project received support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a three-year grant worth $590,000. Additional support came from the National Science Foundation and Iowa State’s Digital and Precision Agriculture Applications program.
Claussen said the idea began when researchers wondered if drones could help test remote waterways blocked by marshy land, low water, or other obstacles. Engineering students first designed a prototype that proved the system could work.
“This project has the potential to increase the resolution of water monitoring without the need to invest in expensive and stationary sensors,” said Michelle Soupir. “The drone could allow sampling from sites that are difficult to access, especially during certain weather conditions.”
The sensing payload costs less than $135 and includes a sensor, pump system, electronics, and mounting hardware.
“Future modifications could incorporate sensors for detecting pesticides and bacteria, promoting more responsible pesticide use and ensuring that irrigation water is free from microbial contaminants that could lead to costly food recalls,” the researchers wrote.
Claussen called the project “a new adventure for the lab.”