Pesticide-spraying drones accelerate sustainable farming as governments relax regulations

dronespray
Credit: Myjoyonline

Move over dogs โ€“ drones are a farmerโ€™s new best friend! In just a few years thereโ€™s been a huge rise in the use of drones in agriculture. Their popularity is set to soar globally as countries grant operators permission to also apply crop protection products.

It makes sense to use drones for spray applications โ€“ they can operate over sodden fields and tall crops where no machine could normally move, fly quickly to exact locations to treat target areas precisely, as well as be pre-programmed to navigate their own way around.

Recent equipment introductions, and regulation changes in particular, look likely to see aerial applications by UAVs to increase substantially and quickly around the globe.

In the USA sales are set to rise by a third in a year โ€“ probably thanks to new regulations that now permit drone applications. And, with John Deere showing its developments at the Agritechnica Show in 2019, it looks like drone spraying is moving into the mainstream.

Drone spray applications also provide massive benefits for farmers in countries with developing agriculture. Indeed, in countries like China and India, they have essentially enabled farmers to leap from hand-held applicators, skipping vehicle-mounted boomed machines, and going straight to drones.

Read the original post

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosateโ€”the world's most heavily-used herbicideโ€”pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

Screenshot-2026-04-14-at-11.11.06-AM
โ€˜Turbo cancerโ€™ or mRNA cancer cure? Strategies to counter misinformation
Picture1
The Orange Bowl without oranges: Can CRISPR save Florida citrus?
ChatGPT-Image-May-22-2026-10_26_09-AM
Gutting the National Science Board: How the Trump-RFK, Jr. crusade is erasing the separation of science and state
Screenshot 2025-11-12 at 3.28
GLP podcast: Evolutionary biologist debunks the 'sex spectrum'
Screenshot-2026-04-22-at-12.21.32-PM
Viewpoint: Why the retracted Monsanto glyphosate study doesnโ€™t change the scienceโ€”the worldโ€™s most popular herbicide is safeย 
Screenshot 2026-05-22 at 3.28
Vagus nerve wellness grift: How to build a billion dollar business. Are you listening, Kelly Ripa?
ChatGPT-Image-May-26-2026-09_19_32-AM
Viewpointโ€” โ€œA safe space to chat, flirt, and be intimate without sexโ€: Are new AI companies exploiting vulnerable asexuals?
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpointโ€”โ€œMiracle moleculeโ€ debunked: Why acemannan supplements donโ€™t work
ChatGPT-Image-Apr-16-2026-02_56_53-PM
Financial incentives, over diagnosis, and weak oversight: Autism claims are driving up Medicare costs
ChatGPT-Image-May-1-2026-11_42_59-AM-2
Viewpoint: NAD is the wellness grifters latest evidence-lite longevity fad. At least the mice are impressed.
ChatGPT-Image-May-26-2026-09_04_31-AM-2
Hantavirus revives COVID-era conspiracies and distrust in public healthย 
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.