Unmanned aircraft company UAVOS today announced its Agro-drone R22-UV for day/night aerial applications. The unmanned Robinson R22 is equipped with the Simplex 222 spray system that includes a 26.4-gallon chemical tank and a 23-foot wide spray boom. It has a maximum endurance of two hours.  

UAVOS said the aircraft offers a faster, more precise, and more environmentally friendly method of application compared to ground application with a wheeled vehicle or on foot. UAVOS also noted that using a rotorcraft for such applications produces “downward rotation force” for more even and thorough pesticide droplet penetration of crops in all parts of the plant.

Using a UAV for aerial application also enables quick “spot spraying” of problem areas and the net application of less pesticide by using analysis from digital photos that can be provided by unmanned aircraft. Predetermined treatment areas can be set in a GPS-defined route for field flyovers. Using less pesticide saves costs and lessens the chemical impact on soil, groundwater, and the agricultural consumer. Precision agriculture is based on the use of valuable metrics to make farmers’ crop management efficient and optimized.

"Validating-of-damage reports used to be on paper. So unmanned aircraft help our customers to validate the veracity of reports so that we could come up with a comprehensive solution. Generally, agriculture is very complex and there are a lot of problems, but there are solutions available through the new technology,” said UAVOS CEO Aliaksei Stratsilatau. UAVOS develops autopilots and other systems used in converted manned to unmanned aircraft, as well as specialized unmanned aerial vehicles in a variety of roles.