By Andi Anderson
Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently hosted its Ag Field Day, bringing farmers, researchers, students, and industry representatives together to explore the latest agricultural innovations. The event highlighted research projects focused on improving farming efficiency, sustainability, and crop productivity through advanced technology.
The research showcased at the event was conducted by graduate students under faculty guidance and supported by organizations including the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council, the Illinois Soybean Association, and the Illinois Farm Bureau.
Dipanjan Mazumdar, Interim Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and Associate Professor in the School of Physics and Applied Physics, emphasized the importance of sharing research with the farming community. He said, “This is a great community outreach with our farmers and agriculture partners who help fund some of our research projects.” He added, “University Farms is SIU’s largest research facility in terms of scope and size with 600 of the 2,000 acres being dedicated to research. Our college is producing quality research that can improve farming practices, and we want to share that information.”
One of the major attractions was a demonstration of drones and their agricultural applications. Billy Ram, Assistant Professor of Precision Agriculture, explained how drones help farmers analyze large fields more effectively. He said, “It’s very difficult to look at a field from eye level and identify issues, especially when a farmer has thousands of acres worth of crops.” He further added, “Drones allow farmers to see areas where crops are not experiencing the growth that they should. Maybe the plants are fighting for nutrients, the soil has a problem, or the plants are too compact.”
Drones collect information using LiDAR, RGB, and multispectral imaging. These tools help farmers improve drainage, detect weeds, monitor diseases, identify nutrient deficiencies, and evaluate crop health. When combined with artificial intelligence, the technology becomes even more accurate.
Discussing AI capabilities, Ram said, “These models can tell the farmer which types of weeds are present in their fields.” He added, “It no longer becomes crop versus weed but identifies the type of weed such as waterhemp or ragweed. The model can even tell farmers which percentage of their field is weeds. This is useful information for mitigation.”
The Illinois Soybean Association supports ongoing research into drone technology. Abigail Peterson, Director of Agronomy for the Illinois Soybean Association, said, “We want to be ahead of the game for farmers.” She added, “Drone technology and mapping are an interest that we’re going to keep on funding through research. We want to push the envelope on what’s next.”
The event also highlighted agricultural education. Steven Still, Associate Professor in Agriculture Education, stressed the importance of preparing future farmers and educators. He said, “I want my students to use this technology and teach it to their future students.” He added, “Drones and AI are where the field’s going, it’s where the technology is going.” SIU plans to further support this trend by introducing an AI and Ag course in fall 2026, helping students prepare for emerging careers in modern agriculture.
Photo Credit: istock-psisa
Categories: Illinois, Education