The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved drone test flights over upstate New York as part of a research programme to evaluate their use in the national airspace system (NAS).

The Griffiss International Airport unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site in Rome, New York is the fifth of six test sites the agency selected after Congress tasked the agency with finding locations for the research programme.

The main objective of the programme is to evaluate methods for scouting agricultural fields using different types of sensors such as visual, thermal and multispectral equipment.

In addition, the programme will enhance current methods of monitoring crops and provide additional information for continuing field research efforts.

Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said: "We are accomplishing two important missions with the launch of this test site.

"The safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the NAS is our number one priority, but the agricultural research performed in Rome also may have far-reaching benefits to farmers in New York and across the nation."

"The safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the NAS is our number one priority, but the agricultural research performed in Rome also may have far-reaching benefits to farmers in New York and across the nation."

The Griffiss International Airport team has secured a two-year certificate of waiver or authorization (COA) from the FAA to use a PrecisionHawk Lancaster Platform UAS, which weighs about three pounds, with a wingspan of 4ft.

The site will use drones to detect insects, weeds, diseases, crop characteristics, crop biomass and background soil characteristics in two farm fields.

According to the FAA, flights last up to one hour, operating below 400ft. The process will be repeated until geospatially-referenced imagery is taken.

The site would also manage Joint Base Cape Cod’s unmanned agricultural research flights.

FAA administrator Michael Huerta said: "The data the Griffiss team plans to acquire and share will help the FAA in researching the complexities of integrating UAS into the congested Northeast airspace."