Arkansas Plant Board Addresses Concerns About Sprayer Drones
Recently, the Arkansas Plant Board heard concerns about the growing use of agricultural sprayer drones in the state’s agricultural sector. This increased use is largely driven by farmers seeking to improve their pesticide application methods, including the use of drones for this purpose.
As more farmers explore the benefits of drone technology, the Plant Board is addressing their concerns about the practice. With rules for drone use and specific pesticide usage being major points of interest, the board aims to create a comprehensive framework for these emerging techniques.
Dr. Jason Davis, a professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, has been actively involved in initiatives to educate farmers, consultants, and extension agents about the potential of drone and satellite imaging in agriculture. His work focuses on the efficient analysis of data gathered by these methods to create actionable insights for farmers.
Dr. Davis and other experts from the Cooperative Extension Service are working to formalize training for extension agents on these technologies to help farmers better integrate them into their production processes. This is particularly crucial as drones can be used for diverse applications such as weed detection, vegetative health, and irrigation efficiency analysis, providing significant commercial benefits to the agricultural industry.
