Alma, August 20th, 2015– The management team of Agrinova (Alma, Quebec) and Hovercam-Media (Saint-Félicien, Quebec), two members of the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence,are proud to announce their new project “Using precision multispectral aerial imagery as a productivity diagnostic tool in the culture of wild blueberries” has been accepted by the NationalScience and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for a total value of $25,000.

This project combines blueberry culture research and UAV applications.

In a wild blueberry crop (Vaccinium angustifolium), numerous causes have a direct impact on blueberry plants which may cause significant losses. Thus, the gathering of plants is uneven and sparse for different reasons, such as genetic variability (clones), the presence of weeds, the soil conditions or poorly adapted terrain features. Being unable to explain the reasons behind theses phenomena’s, it is currently very difficult for companies to carry out a practical and proper treatment
adapted to the specificity of the field.

Under the supervision of Agrinova, the main objective of this project is to experiment using low altitude aerial imagery as a mapping tool for blueberry fields, and analyse the variability of ground cover and as projected performance indicator. The project will also be used to demonstrate the numerous possibilities for agriculture, using unmanned aerial vehicules (UAVs) and remote sensing aerial imagery.

This research project will be conducted during La Bleuetière des Blancs’ 2015 crop season, in the
Municipality of l’Ascension, Lac-Saint-Jean. This is not their first innovative project which makes
them a key partner in this project.