MOULTRIE, Ga. — 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, Ga.

By deploying a UAV with a multi-spectral camera to survey crops, farmers could spot water and nutrition issues, insect infestations and fungal infections.

“The UAV saves a tremendous amount of time,” said Eric Corban, founder and chief technology officer for Guided Systems Technologies, a Stockbridge, Ga., company that helped develop the software. “Traditionally you would walk the field, and you would only get a small portion of the field sample. The UAV can do it in a fraction of that time and cover the entire field.”

Although the technology is only in the testing phase, commercial use could begin once the Federal Aviation Administration issues rules.

“We’re working very close with the FAA,” said Steve Justice, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Aerospace. “They have direction from the Congress to issue rules for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by the fall of 2015.”