Robot and drones put on a show at Clemson

A robot and high-flying drones burrowed through and buzzed above Clemson University farm acreage this month in a demonstration of how to improve the collection of crop data to benefit agricultural production.  The state’s agriculture commissioner, Hugh Weathers, was among those there for the demonstration on 15 acres of experimental sorghum plots on the grounds of Simpson Research Farm in Pendleton.  The space-age devices are part of a project by Clemson and other partners. Last year Clemson’s Institute of Translational Genomics, led by Stephen Kresovich, was awarded $6 million dollars to accelerate the development of renewable transportation fuels.  Clemson has been working with Carnegie Mellon, Near Earth Autonomy and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to advance agriculture and plant breeding.