Farmers are always thinking, and many spend a great deal of time trying to figure out how to bring their kids back to the farm or how to make their operation such that there is enough cash flow to support the next generation.  One component of the agriculture industry that is especially appealing to younger farmers is that of precision ag. “Precision ag is a great way to get the younger generation back to the farm,” said UK Extension Ag Economist Dr. Jordan Shockley.  A particularly narrow niche of precision ag that is growing by leaps and bounds is the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, more commonly referred to as drones). While drones have been found on the farm for several years now as a way to check crops and livestock (and make cool videos), the new age of UAVs comes with more utility AND a payload. 

Drones are increasingly being used in production agriculture to apply crop protection products and interseed cover crops into standing crops and for working in wetlands and other areas that a traditional sprayer or planter may not be able to reach.

“One thing that makes the drones so attractive for applying crop protection products is that the custom applicators, and even the on-farm applicators, are all covered up at the same time,” Shockley said. “When it’s time to spray fungicide, it’s that time for a lot of acres in the same area, and the farms that can get their spraying done on their own schedule have a big advantage.” 

The cost of these drones is significant, usually running between $15,000 and $40,000 each, and there are incidental costs to consider. Multiple battery packs are required, along with an in-field charging station. Shockley said that many commercial drone applicators have chosen to recharge batteries in refrigerated or freezer trailers. The cool temperatures allow batteries to charge much more quickly in the hot Kentucky months during which such applications take place. As for additional investments, applicators must have both their UAV license AND a pesticide applicator’s license in order to operate legally. Overweight and roadway exemptions are also required. 

Some operations, like Gilkison Farm in Winchester, opt to buy their own drone and have an on-site applicator. Fifteen-year-old Curry Gilkison has been farming since he can remember, and operating the drone comes naturally for him. 

“We decided to go this route because we were low man on the list when it came to aerial applicators,” said Brennan Gilkison. “With this drone, we can control the time frame that we spray, and we are not dependent on anyone else’s schedule.” He also noted that Curry can upload the RTK field maps from their planting system and the drone will duplicate that path. 

“I’m sure that I could figure out all the ins and outs of the drone,” he said, “but a young farmer like Curry? You can hand it to him, and it’s just instinct to know what to do.” Gilkison said that learning to navigate obstacles while not wasting battery life took a little practice, but that Curry is now a pro. 

For those operations that may choose not to purchase a drone but still want to take advantage of the technology, there are custom applicators here in Kentucky. West Ky Aerial Spraying is based in Ballard County, and owner Clay Harper and his partner Mike Wicker are keeping busy. In addition to interseeding cover crops and applying crop protection products to row crops, they do a lot of business with waterfowl hunters who need millet flown over their duck holes. 

“This technology is really dialing in the precision part of precision ag,” Harper said. “We are able to monitor crops and only spot spray instead of making an application over a whole field. That means we use a lot less – less chemical, less diesel fuel, and fewer man-hours – than traditional sprayers.” Harper noted that in many cases, aerial application is necessary to keep the crop from being damaged. 

“There are so many pros to this technology; it’s not funny. If a farmer is patient and learns how to use this drone, he can save a lot of money,” Harper said, “even at $25,000 a drone.” He added that in many operations, a drone of this kind could replace a traditional ground sprayer. 

“The only real con is the time it takes,” Harper said. “When you get to a field, you have 30 minutes of set up and 30 minutes of teardown, not counting the time you are actually spraying.” He did mention that the drones do a great job maneuvering around obstacles and treelines and under power lines. Drones can also be used during wet field conditions with no damage to the crop or the ground.

Once again, a young person has mastered this technology. Landon Wicker has turned it into a career path. Wicker will graduate from Murray State University later this month, and he is ready to get to work full-time. He has accepted a position with Bestway Ag in Hopkinsville as their Drone Specialist, and he has much of the upcoming year planned out. Bestway is a dealer for DJI, and Wicker is selling Agras T10, T30, and T40 drones. 

“This is new and improved technology,” he said, “and it’s a really different tool. We did a study in Russellville that showed drone spray applications are 52% more effective than ground rigs due to drift.” Wicker added that the effectiveness of the drone is compounded by the superior penetration of the product being applied. He said that the vortex of the propellers pushes the product down into the crop. 

“These are a great addition to a farmer’s equipment lineup,” he said. “They can run the Deeres and Hagies over in the big wide open fields and use this drone in the 5- to 20-acre patches at the same time.” Wicker also noted that technology in agriculture is improving rapidly. “This is the new technology, and I don’t think it will be long before we have a drone that can carry 50 gallons or more. This technology is the next big thing, but it’s already here and we are using it now.”

Wicker noted that drones are being used to apply desiccants to soybeans and that their use to desiccate (dry-down) other crops is on the horizon. “This is a great point of entry for young people in ag,” Wicker said. “If someone is interested in agriculture and is tech savvy, this technology is a great way to put those two together.” 

Caldwell County farmer Bill Clift agrees. “I bought an Agras T30 last year to use on my operation, and it has been great on the wet creek bottom ground I farm. I may plant that ground a month after all my better-drained ground, and no aerial applicator is going to come back just to spray that field.”

Clift added that he has used his drone in the spring to terminate cover crops. “I plant cover crop wheat on just about every acre. If you don’t get wheat killed at boot-top height, that ground will never dry out.”  Clift said that he got his drone license right after his pilot’s license and that his son, Cody, who has returned to the family operation, intends to do the same. “It’s all the FAA airspace information and what has the right of way in the airspace, so if someone has their pilot’s license, getting a drone operator’s license shouldn’t be much trouble.” 

Clift, like Wicker, is excited to see this technology continue to advance and improve. “You get drones on the market with a 50-gallon payload; that’s going to be a real game-changer since you won’t have to spend so much time refilling,” he said.