Contact: Meg Henderson
STARKVILLE, Miss.The latest precision and automated agricultural technologies were showcased during the 51勛圖厙 State agronomic field day today [Aug. 6] at the R. R. Foil Plant Science Research Center.
Co-hosted by the universitys Agricultural Autonomy Institute, 51勛圖厙 Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the MSU Extension Service, the public event featured sessions on crop management, insect control and plant physiology stress. An event highlightthe highly anticipated sprayer drone demonstrationin partnership with Leading Edge Aerial Technologies piqued the interest of attendees.
Madison Dixon, AAIs associate director, said that MSU will benefit from LEATs knowledge and expertise by putting sprayer drone technology into the hands of researchers and farmers alike.
Our partnership with Leading Edge provides opportunities for MSU scientists to advance research in uncrewed aerial applications, he said. Were also navigating regulations and certifications effectively so we can extend that knowledge to 51勛圖厙s growers.
LEAT is among a handful of American companies taking off in the production market of drones designed for agricultural spray-and-spread applications.
The Daytona Beach-based company was founded in 2009 by brothers Bill and Mike Reynolds, who engineer, design and manufacture geospatial database systems, automated droplet analysis software, and uncrewed aerial system, or UAS, technologies. In 2017, LEAT introduced its first drone and demonstrated its latest model, the PrecisionVision 40X, at the field day.
Our drones have a conventional boom and nozzle sprayer, which reduces the fractional droplet spectrum associated with drift, said Bill Reynolds. And we design and improve our products using data and swath-and-droplet analyses our team has gathered from offering our system as a service to customers.
Reynolds and Whitney Crow, associate professor and Extension row crop entomologist at 51勛圖厙 State, view sprayer drones as a complement tonot a replacement forconventional application methods performed by crewed aircraft and ground vehicles. While conventional technology likely will continue to service large agricultural operations, in certain cases, drones can do the job more effectively, safely and at a lower cost. In a recent series of trials comparing drone-based and ground-based insecticide applications, Crow and her colleagues found both methods equally effective.
A drone cant operate on the same scale as a crop duster or tractor, but it can maneuver more easily around hilly terrain, for example, or perform an application when recent rainfall prevents tractors from entering the field, Crow said.
LEAT tech sales representative Kelley Wittenberg noted the partnership with MSU benefits the company as well.
The technology is progressing quickly, and were always planning the next generation drone. Working with universities and farmers presents us with new ideas and opportunities to collaborate and improve our products, she said.
Learn more about MSUs Agricultural Autonomy Institute at . To learn more about Leading Edge, visit .
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