A spray drone used water to demonstrate the potential of the technology during a Manitoba crop tour this summer.  |  Don Norman photo

Legal drone spraying takes step closer to reality

CFIA says the work that is ongoing to satisfy federal regulatory authorities is moving faster than previously anticipated

The ray of hope might be dim right now, but farmers wanting to legally spray pesticides on their crops using drones may be seeing the first hint of light at the end of the tunnel. Ross Breckels, a senior scientific evaluator with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), said the process of getting common […] Read more

It’s estimated that Chinese company DJI accounts for more than 50 per cent of all U.S. drone purchases, and members of Congress say their use on American farms poses national security risks.  |  Reuters photo

Chinese-made agriculture drones labelled security risk

U.S. lawmakers ask U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to take action

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) — A dozen Republican U.S. lawmakers have urged president Joe Biden’s administration to address the use of Chinese-manufactured agriculture drones, saying their use on American farms poses national security risks. The House members, including Representatives Elise Stefanik, Ashley Hinson and John Moolenaar, who chairs a select committee on China, wrote letters to […] Read more


The Stratus AirSprayer in flight at the Spaceport America testing facility in New Mexico during spring 2024.  |  Precision AI photo

Paraglider powers a new kind of sprayer

Autonomous aerial sprayer was designed to maximize the flight time required for the large farms in Western Canada

Glacier FarmMedia – Scouting for new technology to make farming more productive and profitable is a key part of Janay Meisser’s job as director of innovation for United Farmers of Alberta,. The Stratus AirSprayer, a drone tool unveiled by Saskatchewan-based Precision AI in July, is unlike anything she’s seen so far. “I think they’ve got […] Read more

The Saskatchewan producer, who asked to remain anonymous, uses drones primarily to apply fungicide in pre-harvest grain. | File photo

Delays on drone spraying approvals frustrates farmer

At least one farmer is champing at the bit for Canadian regulatory approval of sprayer drones. The Saskatchewan producer, who asked to remain anonymous, uses drones primarily to apply fungicide in pre-harvest grain. Related story: Should farmers use drones to spray? He said he has reached out to the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency on […] Read more


The DJI Agras T50 is a popular drone model with applications for spraying and other ag functions. | DJI photo

Should farmers use drones to spray?

Producers are eager to adopt DIY aerial spraying, but a slow, careful approach if warranted, says sprayer expert

A number of farmers across Western Canada are using unmanned drones to spray crop protection products, and they’re doing it undeterred by a lack of regulatory approval, say ag drone experts. Markus Weber, president of Alberta-based LandView Drones, sells drones for agricultural applications, including crop spraying. Up until a few years ago, farmers were primarily […] Read more

Spray drone technology is flourishing south of the border, where you can generally apply anything registered for aerial application. Not so in Canada... | Screencap via vimeo.com/GuardianAg

Canada needs to accommodate spray drones

Adam Bercu, founder and CEO of a company called Guardian Agriculture, has altered my opinion on the future of spray drones. I recently met Bercu at a venture capital summit in the Silicon Valley, not far from San Francisco. He was a sponsor of the event and had one of his drones on display for […] Read more