FORT DODGE/NEVADA – Iowa State University Extension will be holding two workshops in the Farm News coverage area on exploring different uses of unmanned aerial systems in agricultural applications.

The first will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 15 in the Auditorium Building, Webster County Fair Grounds, in Fort Dodge. To register, call (515) 576-2119.

The second will be from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 16 in Christy 4-H Hall, Story County Fair Grounds, in Nevada. To register, call (515) 382-6551.

The same workshop will be offered at no cost at both locations. Participants must preregister at least one day in advance. Workshop sizes are limited to 50 participants.

The use of UASs, or drones, in agriculture is an increasing trend and this workshop will explore sensor and imaging capabilities of different fixedwing planes and multi-bladed copters.

From Big Data to performing routine checks on crops, livestock, and environmental impacts, drones can help farmers extract hidden on-farm knowledge.

This workshop will explore different aerial-camera platforms for a beginner, intermediate, and expert UAS user.

Status of the Federal Aviation Administration requirements as it applies to agricultural uses of drones will also be explored in this workshop.

Drones will be flown to perform image and video capture over the fairgrounds area.

The workshop speakers are Kapil Arora, field agricultural engineer for ISU Extension; and Doug Moore, an instrument-rated private pilot.