MSU researchers demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems with spray capabilities during a recent agronomy field day. Photo by David Ammon
Though the technology is still in its early days, unmanned aircraft systems with spray capabilities offer promising solutions to some of today’s greatest agricultural production challenges. A video series created by Mississippi State’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute and supported by the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station helps farmers navigate this technology, from spray drone basics to detailed troubleshooting.
Adoption of unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, in agricultural settings has rapidly accelerated over the last decade after regulations were established for their commercial use. While there are up-front investments in equipment or payments to service providers, this technology can save growers labor, time and money on aerial cover crop seeding, granular fertilizer spreading and application of pesticides.
MSU’s Madison Dixon, AAI associate director of research, has seen growing interest from stakeholders in Mississippi and across the country.
“We’re getting multiple calls a week, sometimes a day, from people wanting to understand the technology and the regulations, which are still a moving target,” he said. “We felt the best approach that would assist the most people was this comprehensive video series. Our goal was to address the most frequently asked questions and to help people use the technology safely and successfully.”
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The 13-part series includes bite-sized informational clips on high-demand topics and an in-depth troubleshooting segment. Alex Thomasson, AAI director, along with Scott Willard, MAFES director who now also serves as MSU’s interim vice president for research and economic development, provide an introduction. Dan Martin, a recently retired research engineer with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, narrates the instructional videos. A collaborative partner with AAI and founder of the Remote Pilots and Aerial Applicators Association, Martin has decades of experience in precision agriculture technology and extensive expertise in agricultural drones.
Dixon emphasized the videos provide accurate, up-to-date information relevant to all spray drone users.
“Aerial application of ag products by drone is still very new in the U.S. Our mission at AAI is to perform research that leads to successful adoption for our growers and promotes innovation and economic development for our state,” he said.
Darrin Dodds, MAFES associate director, described the series as an example of MSU’s strength in leveraging relationships to respond to Mississippians’ needs.
“This project, and the work that has preceded it, grew out of a task force initiated by the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture,” he said. “We have great relationships with the state’s Department of Agriculture and Commerce and Bureau of Plant Industry, and we’re working together to meet the demands of Mississippi’s agricultural industry.”
Dodds acknowledged the indispensable support from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which provided funding for graduate students who laid some of the groundwork with their research. The students completed numerous studies in off target movement, herbicide efficacy, and insecticide efficacy, and the data these studies produced are unique and fundamental to AAI’s work today.
“Cooperation is key to AAI’s success. They are driving the agenda, but they’re also working with MAFES scientists in agricultural and biological engineering, plant and soil sciences and agricultural economics. We’re hoping the data we’re generating in this program will help guide efficient and safe application of agricultural products via drone as well as regulatory policy that helps drone operators conduct their operations safely,” he said.
In addition to support from the university’s AAI and MAFES, the agricultural UAS research being done alongside the videos has been funded by the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board and the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board.
For more information about AAI, visit www.aai.msstate.edu.
