The Future of Drone Spraying
One of the most challenging aspects of growing plants in a nursery like ours is the lack of control we have over our environment. From years of sustained drought, to months of flash flooding (followed by more drought), to persistent wind and extreme temperature fluctuations, to new and ever-changing disease pressures and insect populations, we do our best to manage plant health in an increasingly unpredictable climate. Ultimately, we can implement a balanced IPM program that incorporates all the best practices and proper cultural controls, but the use of chemicals is unavoidable if we’re going to produce clean, pest-free plant material. Even with all the advancements in plant breeding in recent decades, there is still no such thing as a mildew-resistant Monarda, no matter what the marketing says.
Our industry is shaped, in many ways, by what our customers demand. For years now, the words “native” and “sustainable” have dominated green industry trend reports. Consumer interests have fueled the rise of natives in the nursery industry as well as the renewed focus on pollinators and pollinator plants. Nurseries, greenhouses, and garden centers have adapted our production plans, marketing strategies, and purchasing practices to keep up with what is as much a social movement as it is a garden design trend. But, while consumers’ interests have changed over time, their expectations of quality, for the most part, haven’t. The average customer isn’t going to pay for a plant with insect damage or leaf spots, regardless of whether it’s native or not.
Most homeowners probably don’t realize the amount of chemicals it takes to produce that blemish-free Hydrangea they just planted in their yard. Changing precipitation patterns and extreme weather events, fueled by climate change, are affecting the dynamics of insect populations in ways that we’re not yet able to predict. Rising temperatures alone have led to explosions of some pest populations in recent years (like Japanese beetles, aphids, and flea beetles, just to name a few), and we’re faced with the reality that traditional control methods are just not as effective as they once were.
With this in mind, it seems very unlikely that we’ll see a decrease in the need for chemical controls anytime soon. As responsible growers, the well-being of our employees is always our top priority, and that’s a major reason to be proactive when it comes to seeking out safer practices. One such opportunity on the horizon is the use of drones for aerial application systems. While this technology is becoming more and more prevalent in other countries, like South Korea, China, and Japan, it hasn’t been widely adopted in the U.S., and obstacles remain. Education and certification, battery life, tank size, and FAA restrictions are just a few examples of the hurdles preventing more widespread use in our industry. Chemical product labels in the U.S. also lack information related to spraying with drones. But the possible benefits could make agricultural drone use well worth the investment. Reducing the risk of exposure to chemicals is one major advantage, along with the ability to deliver precise amounts of chemicals to areas that are difficult to access with ground sprayers.
It's unlikely that drones will completely eliminate the need for traditional sprayers in the near future, but as demand for and acceptance of this exciting technology increase, hopefully so will its accessibility. As we’ve seen, adaptability is key in an industry as unpredictable as ours. As we move to embrace new technology to deal with constantly changing insect pressures, I think educating our customers is, as always, an integral component of what we do.
