Deon van der Merwe MRCVS, PhD, ERT, is an experienced consultant within the drone-based aerial remote sensing industry.

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His background in academic research and commercial applications in the fields of environmental assessment, toxicology and agriculture, since 2007, resulted in a unique understanding of the potential applications of drones in environmental and agricultural settings. Over the years, he has participated in important research, providing valuable insights into the field, and served as a consultant for various companies. His role often involved guiding businesses exploring commercial drone services and farms considering in-house drone operations. His expertise covers the selection and use of drone sensors, creating efficient flight plans, and ensuring smooth workflows. He focuses on turning this data into practical information that can be used for informed decision-making.

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Selected Scientific Publications

• Gadhwal, Manoj and Sangha, Harman Singh and Sharda, Ajay and Merwe, Deon van der, 2023. Spatial Corn Canopy Temperature Extraction: How Focal Length and sUAS Flying Altitude Influence Thermal Infrared Sensing Accuracy. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 209:1-11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2023.107812

• ​Van der Merwe D, Burchfield DR, Witt TD, Price KP, Sharda A 2020. Drones in Agriculture. In: Advances in Agronomy: AGRON Volume 162, DL Sparks (ed.), Elsevier/Academic Press, New York, pp. 1-28

• Hatton N, Schapaugh W, Sharda A, van der Merwe D 2020. Remote thermal infrared imaging for rapid screening of sudden death syndrome in soybean. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 178:105738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105738

• Van der Merwe D, Baldwin CE, Boyer W 2020. An efficient method for estimating dormant season grass biomass in tallgrass prairie from ultra-high spatial resolution aerial imaging produced with small unmanned aircraft systems. International Journal of Wildland Fire, 29(8):696-701

• Hong M, Bremer D, van der Merwe D 2019. Early Drought Stress Detection in Turfgrass Utilizing Thermal Imaging and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 2(1):1-9

• Hong M, Bremer D, van der Merwe D 2019. Utilizing small unmanned aircraft systems for early detection of drought stress in turfgrass. Crop Science, 59:1-16. doi:10.2135/cropsci2019.04.0212

• Bartle SJ, van der Merwe D, Reinhardt CD, Schwandt EF, Thomson DU 2018. Case study: Mitigation of heat stress in feedlot cattle by applying reflective pigments to the dorsal surface. The Professional Animal Scientist, 34(3)299-305

• Van der Merwe D, Price KP 2015. Harmful algal bloom characterization at ultra-high spatial and temporal resolution using small unmanned aircraft systems. Toxins, 7(4):1065-1078

• Wang C, Price KP, van der Merwe D, An N, Burchfield D, Bryant J. 2014. Modelling tallgrass prairie above-ground biomass in the central Great Plains using ultra-high spatial resolution multispectral imagery. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing. 80(12):1151-1159

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Contact: deon@vanarrow.com

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