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Horticulture

Aerial Application

Aerial spraying drones are tank-carrying UAVs that spray crops with fertilisers or pesticides. Unlike a traditional tractor, drones can spray crops more precisely. Because they can be programmed to spray an even amount of liquid in all necessary sections, there’s no risk of overdosing your crops.

Whether on plain field, orchard, or protected and delicate crop, the UAV is capable of spraying liquid onto every needing crop with uniformity and precision. Utilising BROUAV 60-200um nozzle spraying systems, the D25L-4 series UAV secures farm produce quality while protecting the environment by reducing 30% of pesticide use and 90% of water waste.

What does it Cost?

Each job can vary quite considerably, but in general, drone spraying will cost between $300-$600 per hour. As each farmer or grower will have specific requirements (flow rates, droplet size, litres per acre or hectare, saturation, drone spray height) where the drone coverage, time and costs will vary from job to job.

Jobs are estimated based on the information provided and then invoiced on actual time taken. We only charge for drone hours, not man hours. There maybe, in some cases a minimum charge out cost, and there maybe a travelling fee for those very remote jobs. SkyTech guarantee a maximum variation of +/-20% of the estimated cost. This does not include additional services requested by client on the day of delivery.

Example

Drone coverage

Cost per Hectare

Cost per Acre

D72L-8 Drone

24 hectares/p/hr

$15.80

$6.20

D52L-8 Drone

20 hectares/p/hr

$17.50

$6.80

U30L-6 Drone

16 hectares/p/hr

$21.80

$8.48

U25L-4 Drone

12 hectares/p/hr

$29.15

$11.35

NOTE:  These figures are to be used as a guideline only, drone coverage will vary depending on customers requirements.

Crop Health

Aside from aerial spraying, seeding, watering, and surveying, drones are now being used for treatment of weeds, pests, and even crop diseases. Using UAVs allows more control over damage and infection prevention. Traditional spray rigs spray wide crop areas even if a single plant is found unhealthy. Drones can spot the problem areas and isolate spraying to a specific section only.

Prescription Map Operation

The power of Agriculture Intelligence, combined with farmland geographic information and operation prescription maps, farmers can “spray only where it needs”.

Don't Work another Day without SkyTech!

Drones are a logical addition to a farmer’s toolkit and will soon become an integral part of modern farming. The value of informed planning and data-driven decisions and precision application provide increased yields, cannot be overstated, however;

The Problem – The biggest challenge currently facing private drone spraying is regulation. Many countries, including NZ, have heavily regulated systems, on the other hand, many countries don’t have any laws specifically regulating drone spraying, which means that the operator in these regions need to be very careful about their operations.

The Solution – SkyTech is a CAA certified drone company that offers a full-service of drone applications. Contact your closest authorised specialist or the Auckland or Christchurch for more information.

The Results? – Improved crop quality and a higher yield rate, reduced costs and more time to manage the farm. SkyTech drones can be used on nearly any kind of crop, including rice, wheat, corn, citrus trees, potatoes, grapes and much more.