Envision what might be achieved

July 29, 2024

They have become a favoured tool for evildoers to wreak havoc. But the drone is mainly a tool with huge potential in many roles, from search and rescue, to delivery to numerous on-farm applications.

One of the more intriguing on-farms uses will increasingly be for in-field control of pests. Farmers often must turn to aerial application of weed and insect control products - in particular for more mature crops - and that adds another cost to producing the crop.

As it stands, there are limitations to what drone applications can be, based largely on the capacity to carry a product and on label registration to apply the product via a drone. It was surprising to read recently that Canada's Pest Management Review Agency had approved Garlon XRT herbicide, the first industrial vegetation product with drone application on the label.