May 8, 2015

Drones approved to spray fruit crops

Agriculture is changing right before our eyes.

According to recent media reports, a “drone large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides has won a rare approval from federal authorities to spray crops in the United States.”

The FAA approval was announced earlier this week.

Here’s more from the Washington Post:

The drone, called the RMAX, is a remotely piloted helicopter that weighs 207 pounds (94 kilograms), said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft.

Smaller drones weighing a few pounds had already been approved for limited use to take pictures that help farmers identify unhealthy crops. The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, Markofski said.

The drone already has been used elsewhere, including by rice farmers in Japan.