Spray drone field day will feature unmanned aerial vehicle demonstration
Spray height, pass overlaps and coverage will all be discussed Sept. 6
Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) or remotely piloted or operated aircraft are seeing an increase in agricultural applications including but not limited to plant growth monitoring, plant health imagery and land surveying and terrain analysis. One new area of growth is pesticide spraying.
In the past, pilots have operated fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters to perform spraying over agricultural fields. Change is on the horizon. Small, remotely piloted aircraft and drones mounted with spraying systems are now being used to apply pesticides in the U.S. and here in Iowa. Drones for spraying pesticides can be handy when traditional aircraft are not available or are too expensive, or treatment areas are relatively small.
To demonstrate the operating capabilities and characteristics of spray drones, specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Digital Ag Innovation Laboratory have scheduled a Spray Drone Field Day in Havelock, Iowa, on Sept. 6. The day will start at 10:30 a.m. with the morning session devoted to aerial applications of drones in agriculture. Registration starts at 10 a.m. and lunch is provided at no cost to registered participants.
The afternoon session will focus on spray drones and will include demonstrations of spraying with Hylio, Agras and XAG spray drones. Participants will observe drone design and spraying system parameters that are important for maximizing spray deposition and coverage on the targeted plants.
The event is being held in collaboration with Titan PRO SCI, Innovative Ag Solutions, and Terraplex Ag.The event will be held at Peterson Farm Solutions, 22077 430th St., Havelock.
Pre-registration by Sept. 3 is required and limited to 50 participants. Register online at https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HTdgmsADl4UeTY or call the ISU Extension and Outreach Pocahontas County office at 712-335-3103.
For more information, Contact Kapil Arora at 515-291-0174 or Gentry Sorenson at 641-430-6715.
