The treatment of fertilizers, agro nutrients, agricultural bio stimulants, pheromones and even phytosanitary products using drones, is being imposed in Australia, as they are already doing in many other countries in America and China.

It is known that the use of unmanned aircraft is not new. One of them has been its military use in reconnaissance and even warfare. More recently, its use has become popular in a wide variety of fields, such as in the filming of movies and landscapes, in surveillance, security or even hobby activities. Well, agricultural treatments with drones are already a reality.

Treatments with agricultural drones

Agricultural technology does not stop evolving and it has soon realized the benefits of using drones in agriculture. In addition to the application of products related to agro nutrition and plant health, it also covers many other areas such as sowing and all this, through a more effective and safe application.

One of its definitions in the slang of the agricultural sector is ‘ treatments with agricultural drones ‘ and they are presented as a solution based on a new method to increase precision and safety in the care of our crops.

To specify what a drone is, we refer to the term unmanned aircraft. The use of these Remote Control Piloted Aircraft (RPAS) at a professional level is far from those used at a hobby level, and more so when it comes to agricultural work. Hence the professionalization of the agricultural drone sector.

Skytech Solutions, agricultural treatment services with drone

As an example that agricultural treatment services with drone are a reality, the team has been doing some work carried out by the company Skytech Solutions. Specifically in the application of bio stimulants by drone in citrus in organic cultivation.

The Skytech Solutions company was born from the advancement of unmanned aircraft, especially in new agricultural drones and their great work possibilities.

Its technical team is made up of drone pilots and now they have been among the first to have the pilot license for the applicator of phytosanitary products, being registered in the ROPO (official register of producers and operators) in plant health.

The company is registered, which allows it to create flight scenarios in those areas with certain restrictions contemplated by current legislation. With all this, the high professionalization of this activity associated with agricultural treatment services with drones is understood.

Aerial spraying

Since 2012, aerial spraying has been banned in Europe “with few exceptions”. From that moment on, in Australia, each autonomous community is the one that manages the authorizations for this treatment.

Initially, the concept of aerial fumigation was centered in the treatment of insecticides by means of airplanes and helicopters. Now, with the entry into the scene of drones, a new field opens up, especially in the application of biological products and pheromones, which have a registration number and have passed all laboratory tests.

This situation has been legislated with its exceptionalities, adapting it to the needs produced by the crops, as well as the technological advance of agricultural production.

Advantages of the application of agricultural treatments with agricultural drones

The advantages of the application of agricultural treatments with agricultural drones are many and its possibilities cover a wide range of possibilities.

Among the advantages of using agricultural drones, for example, are:

• Possibility of treatment of agro nutritional products, pheromones, agricultural bio stimulants or phytosanitary products.
• Spreading of seeds for sowing, reforestation, replanting, etc.
• Applications regardless of the state of the terrain.
• Ability to work after heavy rains.
• Performance in complex orographic spaces, such as ravines, ditches, canals, etc. making them ideal as a tool against the pests of Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti (tiger mosquito), the Vespa velutina (Asian wasp) or the red weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus ).
• Agro Drones help to improve crop productivity.
• Thanks to their integrated cameras and radars, they can capture images with which to better and more effectively control the state of the crops (detect the appearance of a pest, the nutritional state of the crop, the state of the land, etc.).
• Reduce labor costs in treatments.
• Reduce costs in the products applied, because their quantities are reduced in the treatments, in addition to the water that is traditionally used in them.
• To be able to carry out precision applications, placing the agro drone on the specific point or points to be treated.
• Contribute to being more respectful with the environment because they use electricity for their propulsion, as well as the savings in the aforementioned concepts.

It should be borne in mind that aerial treatment using agricultural drones is not a method applicable to all crops. It is necessary to adapt to each type of crop to admit, for example, ultra-low volume application.

Agricultural treatments with drone in Australia, The Skytech Solutions offers, among its services, the use of agricultural treatments with drones. Among their applications in fruit, horticultural, ornamental, green areas, sports fields and landscaped spaces.

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