While the use of spray drones for chemical application is still illegal in Canada, research on how to use them efficiently and effectively is ongoing.
Crop Production Show 2025: Spray drone research continues
U.S. lawmakers want risks posed by Chinese agriculture drones addressed
Reuters – A dozen U.S. lawmakers on Friday urged the Biden administration to address the use of Chinese manufactured agriculture drones, saying their use on American farms poses national security risks. The House Republicans, including Representatives Elise Stefanik, Ashley Hinson and John Moolenaar, who chairs a select committee on China, asked the U.S. Agriculture Department and Cybersecurity […] Read more
From AIM: Expect a year of drone drama
Spray regulations haven't kept up with drone advancements.
The latest in aerial spraying: paragliders
The Stratus AirSprayer is different than the quadcopters and fixed-wing UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) typically associated with ag drones. Essentially, it’s a powered paraglider — one that can carry heavier loads and stay aloft much longer than conventional drones.
Herbicide approved for industrial use by drone
Canada’s Pest Management Review Agency approved Garlon XRT herbicide, the first industrial vegetation product with drone application on the label.
Going aerial without breaking the bank
Affordable and easy-to-use, microdrones can give farmers a foothold in aerial tech use
Reading Time: 5 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Any farmer can get into the drone game, according to Matthew Johnson, vice-president at Volatus Aerospace. And with the current price of a minidrone, with its functionality and ease of use, he says it’s kind of crazy not to. “I’ve been saying it for a long time. Since (the) mini came out, […] Read more
Drones are ready to go spraying but regs haven’t kept up
Larger drones now a viable alternative but federal rules don’t allow spraying crop protection products
Reading Time: 4 minutes A single drone can fly into rough terrain and spray herbicide on hard-to-reach patches of weeds. Fly three of the largest in tandem and they have the airborne equivalent of a 100-foot spray boom, say proponents, with a cost one-quarter to one-third that of a 100-foot boom. Welcome to the world of drones that can […] Read more
Third edition of AgSmart attracts big – and curious – crowds
Reading Time: 2 minutes With innovations ranging from drones that recognize and spray weeds on the fly, to the latest in worm dung, AgSmart is securing its reputation as one of Canada’s top agriculture events. Nearly 3,000 people attended the latest event Aug. 9-10 that highlights work being done at Olds College’s Smart Farm. It focused on agriculture technology […] Read more
AFSC and Olds College form partnership
Drone assessment of hail damage is among the research projects
Reading Time: < 1 minute Olds College and Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) have created a formal partnership in which AFSC will support applied research on the Olds College Smart Farm. In 2021 the Olds College research team worked on a proof of concept with AFSC to see if drone imagery in hail-damaged fields could assist assessment, with promising initial […] Read more
FROM TOY TO TOOL: The sky’s the limit for farming drones
There’s better software and powerful zooms, and both spraying and seeding are advancing quickly too
Reading Time: 6 minutes From flashy toy to just another tool in the tool box — for many farmers, drones have simply become an everyday part of the work they do. “It’s not as novel as it was a few years ago,” said Markus Weber, president of LandView Drones. “For a lot of people when they buy a drone, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
