Drone Sprayers – Are we Ready?

One of the fastest moving new agricultural technologies is spray drones. Hardly a month goes by without some sort of new capability, some new features. It’s truly an exciting space to watch. As with all things, there are good news and bad news to share. First the good news. Drone capacity is on the rise. […]

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Droning On and On – RPAS Pilot Certification in Canada

In Canada, the use of drones for pesticide application, otherwise known as Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), is regulated by two Federal Departments: Transport Canada establishes regulations for safe operation and Health Canada for the registration and conditions of use of pest control products. Drones are already used in Canadian agriculture for crop surveillance and […]

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The Most Important Developments in Spraying

Some things have improved a lot. Others have lost ground. Some years ago, a few of us weed scientists sat around a table and debated the most important developments in agriculture in our lifetimes. It was a great discussion, and we arrived at a few that included direct seeding (for its soil and moisture conservation […]

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The Challenges of Spraying by Drone

Spray application by drone is here. It’s common practice in South East Asia, with a very significant proportion of ag areas now treated that way. Estimates from South Korea, for example, suggest about 30% of their ag area being sprayed by drone. It’s in the US, too. The Yamaha RMax and Fazer helicopters, which pioneered […]

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