MOULTRIE, Ga. (AP) – Aerial drones, a technology perhaps best known for helping hunt terrorists on the other side of the globe, may soon begin helping U.S. farmers monitor what’s happening in their fields. In Georgia, a group of state and federal officials – along with members of industry and academia – has been working since 2009 to develop a drone that can save a farmer’s time and resources during the growing season.

The public got its first glimpse of the group’s drone at a flight demonstration last month at a research farm in Moultrie, Georgia. By deploying a UAV with a multi-spectral camera to survey crops, farmers could spot water and nutrition issues, insect infestations and fungal infections.