PHOTO: FOXTECH


PHOTO: DRONEVOLT


PHOTO: OPTIM


PHOTO: SHENZEN EAGLE BROTHER


DRONE TECHNOLOGY ▶▶▶


spraying of cultivated fields, especially in smaller rice paddies where the helicopters are more difficult to fly. Yamaha’s most recent estimate suggests that the 2,500-plus examples of its manual ra- dio-controlled or fully autonomous helicop- ters rented by operators are used to spray some 42% of the country’s rice paddy fields. Another 100 or so are understood to be operat- ing in South Korea and the company recently started rolling out the technology in Australia and New Zealand, and also in the US where the Federal Aviation Authority permits Yamaha to conduct research and trial commercial services. Brad Anderson, division manager of Yamaha Precision Agriculture, is confident small-scale helicopters have a role to play in situations such as areas of fields where manned aircraft are unable to operate because of power lines or adjoining sensitive crops. But of particular interest is the use of the mini helicopters to spray powdery mildew fungicides on nar- row-spaced vines, such as in California and the Pacific north-west, which are often grown on hillsides and can otherwise only be treated on foot using backpack sprayers.


NEED TO KNOW


For an overview of rules and regulations governing commercial drone use in agriculture around the World, see Future Farming edition 4-2017 or visit FutureFarming.com


Tackling invasive plants Spraying herbicide to control invasive plants in remote or difficult to access areas is anoth- er potential application – such as the pro- gramme undertaken by Great Lakes Council in Australia to control Bitou bush using a helicopter operated by Yamaha’s Key Aerial Services in the country. In the UK, bracken growing on inaccessible hill sides in upland areas important for sheep production is the target for trials being con- ducted by a consortium of farm drone enthu- siasts and other interested parties. They hope to gather evidence on this and other poten- tial applications to convince aviation and pesticides authorities to allow spraying and spreading from drones. “We’re making progress,” says Norfolk farmer Chris Eglington of agricultural drone services provider Crop Angel. “But I think if it does be- come possible to spray from drones, there will still be sufficient legislative hoops to go through that would limit field operations to qualified contractors.”


Hercules 20 Spray drone from French manu- facturer DroneVolt, priced from € 14,900, has a payload capacity of 15 kg (33 lb) and has co-axial motors spinning eight sets of propellers.


Pest control advances Bracken control, forestry and other specialist applications apart, he sees potential in arable cropping agriculture primarily being spot spraying of weeds occurring in distinct patch- es – such as blackgrass – and precision target- ing of insect pests, especially if drones can


detect as well as treat pest threats autono- mously. That is something researchers in Japan at Saga University and technology com- pany OPTiM are working on – a drone that can locate pest insects and treat clusters with a targeted dose of insecticide. The AgriDrone has reportedly been put through its paces on soy and potato crops and is designed primarily for use at night, uti- lising infrared and thermal cameras to locate and treat insects congregating in harmful numbers. An electric bug ‘zapper’ suspended beneath the drone is also being trialled as a pesticide-free treatment. Another environmentally-friendly approach being developed in Denmark, dispenses pest-eating beneficial insects to field crops. Søren Wiatr Borg of South Denmark Universi- ty, one of the participating organisations in the research group, explains the rationale for the project. “The use of bio-control agents has predominantly been within high-value indoor production, where there is a con- trolled setting and a high-level of infrastruc- ture,” he points out. “It has been difficult and far too expensive to use nature’s own pest control methods on large open areas – but using drones, it is now possible.” Developing a broadcaster that can evenly dis- tribute live beneficial insects such as lady- birds, predatory mites and parasitic wasps, has been a significant challenge, adds Anders


Six-rotor Gaia 160-AG from China’s Foxtech has an enclosed fuselage for dust and weatherproofing, and 22.5-litre liquid capacity. Price less power, propellers for bespoke completion for US$ 2,380.


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Japanese IT specialist Optim is developing the AgriDrone with insect-detection to de- liver a targeted spray treatment, although an electric insect ‘zapper’ suspended from the drone is also being trialled.


▶ FUTURE FARMING | 25 May 2018


China’s Shenzhen Eagle Brother produces this 25 litre capacity spraying mini helicopter (3WD-TY-25L) with a spray bar up to 7 m wide. It will fly for 20-35 minutes, typically covering 1,000-1,300 square metres per minute.


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