Unmanned/Unoccupied/Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS, also known as drones) have rapidly emerged as transformative tools for agriculture and natural resource management. Equipped with diverse sensors, UAS can collect high-resolution data at spatial and temporal scales that were nearly impossible a decade ago. The resulting data enables crop and livestock discovery, prediction, and improvement. UAS, plot, plant and biological characterization for agricultural goals like stress detection, and growth monitoring, enables breeders, researchers, and producers to make rapid and robust decisions. Another key use of UAS is for scouting, providing fast, cost-effective assessment and early identification of problems across crops, animals, forests, pastures, and rangelands. More recently, high-capacity UAS, particularly those equipped with spot-spraying and granular spreading capabilities, have shown promise as precision agriculture tools. Since its initiation, the S1069 multistate project has demonstrated the value of coordinated research and extension by advancing sensing technologies, improving data workflows, and testing applications across crop production, livestock systems, forestry, and rangelands.

Despite significant advances, challenges remain. Challenges especially exist in the adoption of UAS as a routine tool across research/breeding programs and production systems, despite researchers desiring to use these tools more frequently (Lachowiec et al. 2024). For catalyzing and synthesizing research, having an easily accessible centralized UAS data management system is still lacking. On the production side, major issues include spatial coverage, and needs of computational capacities for processing large volumes of data. Additionally, while UAS technology produces high-resolution data, many producers and land managers struggle to translate UAS imagery and sensor outputs into actionable insights that directly help decisions. Adoption of UAS also varies widely due to concerns over cost, workflow complexity, regulatory uncertainty, and unclear return on investment. To increase accessibility, research must focus on streamlining operations, reducing costs, and quantifying the economic benefits of UAS adoption. Broader adoption requires continuous evaluation of UAS-based tools across multiple crops, fields, time periods, and regions. Individual researchers at single institutions often lack sufficient crop diversity and geographic variability to adequately demonstrate broad UAS utility. Having a formal mechanism, such as this multistate project, will minimize this limitation through leveraging shared expertise and resources. Regulatory frameworks and public perception also influence the adoption of UAS. As the Federal Aviation Administration and state agencies evolve rules governing UAS equipment and operations, stakeholders require clear guidance and protocols to ensure safe, efficient, and responsible use of these technologies. In this context, Renewing the S1069 project will provide a platform to engage across states and agencies, evaluate policy impacts, and help reduce regulatory challenges. There is increasing demand for a workforce skilled in UAS operation, data processing, and analytics. Training must innovate and expand to go beyond students and professionals to include extension and outreach personnel, who play a key role in connecting research with producers. By equipping these intermediaries with UAS expertise, the project can speed up technology transfer, boost adoption, and build producer confidence, greatly expanding its impact across agricultural systems and regions. This S1069 multistate project will continue to help organize training programs and strengthen the development of a skilled workforce.

Upon renewal, this project will continue to bring together multidisciplinary expertise in engineering, agronomy, natural resources, geospatial science, and extension. The project’s growth has expanded beyond the region it was conceived in, as evidenced by membership. The project’s continuation will expand the scientific basis for UAS applications, accelerate technology transfer, and strengthen outreach through coordinated extension programming and producer demonstrations. It will also provide vital workforce training opportunities for students, professionals, and extension personnel, ensuring that the next generation of agricultural and natural resource leaders, along with those who serve them, are fully prepared to use these technologies effectively.