Drones are finding their footing in the agriculture industry, claiming a permanent spot at field days, farm shows and some cooperatives. However, their capabilities may not outweigh new sprayer technology.

Steve Gauck, a Beck’s regional agronomy manager, shares that drones are a “young man’s game,” hinting at their continued presence in the agriculture industry. His presentation at Becknology Days in Atlanta, Ind., highlighted the competitive performance of drones when compared with ground rigs and planes.

For example, one trial showed that a drone application of 2 gallons of per acre of Veltyma in corn led to a seven-bushel advantage compared with a four-bushel advantage from a sprayer application of 20 gallons per acre of Veltyma.

“In this one-year, multi-location study, boy, I was surprised,” Gauck says. He adds that in another study, drone applications paid off 75% of the time, while the sprayer only paid off 25% of the time. In an additional study with soybeans, drone applications showed a 5.2-bushel increase, but sprayer applications only showed a 3.4-bushel increase.

What about price?

Price seems like a clear advantage when making the switch from a ground rig to a drone. That is, if you are purchasing the drone and not hiring someone to fly it. Gauck shares that a high-end 18-gallon drone will average $75,000. However, most DJI drones are more economical, with the DJI Agras coming in at about $20,000.

You’ll need to purchase two drones to keep up with what the ground rig covered, so you probably will have to put $100,000 or so into the complete package. With two drones, batteries and additional equipment thrown in, that price advantage is not so clear.

It will take about 33 hours to cover 1,000 acres with a drone compared with 12 hours for a ground rig to cover 1,000 acres, Gauck says. So, if you are hiring someone to make those drone applications, you will be paying them for almost three times the amount of time it takes to cover the same acreage with a ground rig if you are paying by the hour.  

However, Gauck recognizes that the upfront costs of drones are not representative of long-term costs of owning a drone.

“There is some cost involved, for sure, but ultimately, it’s not as much as buying a ground rig and trying to spray on your own,” Gauck says. Before purchasing a drone, however, he recommends hiring someone to make drone applications for a year or two to see the results firsthand.

New sprayer technology

John Deere’s See & Spray technology has changed the landscape for sprayer applications. Cameras will sense weeds and only turn on the nozzles for a short burst to target just the weeds. This ultimately will save product and money.

A demonstration of this technology at Becknology Days displayed how See & Spray can target even the smallest of weeds. There were potted weeds set along a path for the sprayer to target. However, after the demonstration, the presenter pointed out a tiny weed that was barely poking out of the gravel. And, what do you know, the See & Spray technology found it.

This technology also is customizable, allowing users to adjust settings for sensitivity. Gauck shares that no two operators’ preferences will be the same.

Although drones continue to take off and sprayers keep adopting new technology, Gauck says that it is uncertain whether one will prevail over the other. He does not think we will see either one go away completely.

“I think they both have a fit,” Gauck says.