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Custom ag drone applicator increasing acres per hour

The scale and effectiveness of ag applicator drones continue to increase.

Jordan Stickle with Agri-Spray Drones of Austin, Minnesota says he’s seen a significant jump since getting into the business three years ago.

“My first two years I ran a DJI-T40, which had a 10-gallon tank. And I think the max I could spray in a day was 340 acres, and the acres per hour would be 30 to 35.”

Speaking to Brownfield at the recent North American Farm and Power Show in Owatonna, Minnesota, he said he upgraded to the EA Vision J100 last year.

“And what we’re looking at (from) all of our testing is 50 to 55 acres an hour. And this drone incorporates LYDAR instead of radar, so it shoots lasers out to map its environment and then it uses that for terrain follow.”

Stickle says ag applicator drones are getting more efficient while operating at faster speeds.