You’re seeing drones being used on the farm far more often today than you did just a decade ago! That’s because drone technology has advanced to now help with applications of crop protection products.
“We’ve advanced from 8-gallon drones to now, we’re getting into 40-gallon machines in a pretty short amount of time,” says Jesse Stoller, who owns and operates Foundation Ag based in Kentland, Indiana. His company sells and services ag drones across Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio.
“However, I see there probably being a ceiling to that sprayer tank capacity at some point. They can only get so big before we start having just logistical challenges,” he says.
Initially, drones were first introduced into agriculture for scouting purposes. But now, Stoller tells Hoosier Ag Today that the use of sprayer and application drones has grown significantly.
“The primary use has been for fungicides—especially on corn and soybean crops,” he says. “We do have a location in Michigan, so we’re getting into a lot of specialty crops, including orchards. We’re also working in southern Indiana as well on specialty crops in that area.
“Our drones also perform a lot of dry spreading for cover crop seeding and spot spreading, as well as urea applications. We’re now getting into herbicides, which is another level of trying to guide people into how to utilize and do that safely,” he says.
Stoller adds that he has focused his business model on what he sees as the future of drone use on the farm.
“I believe a lot more farms in the future will getting their own machines for their own farms, which requires a high level of training,” he says. “These are high-tech pieces of equipment. Basically, the training that goes with that is intense. That’s where we come in. We want to have that one-on-one connection with these guys, train their operators, and provide that support, parts, and availability. We’re trying to bring that level of service that the ag industry is used to with other pieces of equipment, and incorporate it into the drone technology world.”
To learn more about the products and services provided by Foundation Ag, visit FoundationAg.com.
