Drones can deliver pizzas and perform military strikes — and now Yamaha helicopters can spray pesticides and fertilizer in the U.S.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved the use of drone helicopters for pesticide application May 1, and the first unit is now spraying in California orchards and vineyards. These aren’t the small battery-powered hand-launch helicopters with cameras strapped to their bellies. Instead, they are 207 pound Yamaha choppers powered by two-stroke and […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Yamaha set to lease — to responsible clients only
Yamaha manufactures two versions of its drone helicopter used in agriculture. They share a common frame, fuselage and all dimensions. The original Rmax is powered by a two-stroke twin-cylinder 246 cubic centimetre engine. Its 16 kilogram payload allows it to carry two eight litre liquid product tanks or a pair of eight kg granular tanks. […] Read more
All clean without ammonia
Until recently, ammonia has been considered an essential component in cleaning sprayer tanks and sprayer systems, despite the health risks. Ammonia vapours can irritate the throat and lungs, and farmers with asthma are especially sensitive. Exposure acts on eyes and skin, and in extreme cases ammonia causes kidney and liver damage. A toxic chloramine gas […] Read more
Do rotary atomizers stop drift?
The folks who follow the debate over aerial application’s rotary atomizers versus conventional hydraulic nozzles say it’s like comparing apples to oranges. The common ground on the ground says they’re both round and supposedly good for you, fruit and nozzles. A chief argument put forth by atomizer proponents is that conventional nozzles lack the ability […] Read more
Go fishing — or spray fungicide?
Deciding whether to spray fungicide can be difficult, especially when there isn’t apparent disease pressure, says Warren Bills of AgriTrend. “Every year, growers tell me this decision is a battle,” said Bills. Producers know fungicides work when conditions are right, but it’s a product that is applied before farmers know for sure that those conditions […] Read more
Odd Job for 800 gallon spray planes
It’s common for a farmer to find extra employment for expensive equipment such as a seeding rig, sprayer or combine. But where are those moonlighting jobs for $1.47 million spray planes? Prairie crop dusters sometimes find off-season work in the north spraying insects to protect forests, and one AT-802 owner in Saskatchewan found off-season work […] Read more
Can spray planes do the same work as high clearance sprayers?
Producers who push their high clearance sprayers past 20 m.p.h. but still want more are beginning to buy their own airplanes. Today’s trend of producers buying spray planes reflects the scene 25 years ago when farmers began buying self-propelled sprayers, which at the time were considered contractor territory. Odd Job for 800 gallon spray planes […] Read more
Dual seeding system satisfies moral conundrum
In the food vs. fuel debate, there may finally be a comprise. If a field can grow a biofuel crop and a human food crop in the same year, many moral questions surrounding the issue of using cropland for bio-fuel production can be answered. Russell Gesch of the United States department of agriculture’s Soil Conservation […] Read more
Sprayer cleanup not to be ignored
Chemicals can build up in the sprayer and cause problems for later operations if they are not properly cleaned out
A spray day doesn’t end when the farmer parks the rig. Producers who use Group 2 products that are formulated as a dry fine ground powder have one more important task when they park the sprayer: cleanup. The issue is compounded if they mix Group 2 dry products with other products that have an oily […] Read more
Farmer sold on combine’s easy maintenance
None of the electronics on the Versatile RT490 are essential to operation so if something breaks down, harvest can continue
Kevin Horner was looking for reliable simplicity when he bought two new Versatile RT490 combines for his 3,000 acre farm north of Saskatoon. Horner describes himself as one of those producers who feel the digital invasion of farm implements has gone too far. As a result, he was willing to put his money where his […] Read more
