January 2024’s crop protection column discussed how aerial drones were not yet approved for the application of crop protection products in agriculture. Spoiler alert – this has not changed as of May 2025.
However, it has not stopped a growing level of interest among farmers in using the technology. Our understanding of drone applications has also advanced considerably in the past 18 months. Crop protection products should start being authorized for drone application in the near future in Canada. So what’s changed?
For the last number of years, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has maintained that application of crop protection products by drones represents new technology for aerial application and existing data and models based on conventional fixed-wing or rotary aircraft may not apply. The PMRA’s position is that the use of crop protection products with drones required specific assessments to understand aspects such as occupational exposure, crop residues, efficacy, and drift potential. The outcome of these are now becoming clearer.
Environmental risk assessments are a core part of the review framework for PMRA. This includes data on the non-target effects of products and where they may end up, such as the spray drift potential from applications. The latter is only part of the environmental assessment where drones may be different than other foliar application methods using the same products. An international research collaboration has now determined that spray drift from drones is smaller and more similar to ground application equipment than other conventional aerial applications, which have larger spray drift potential.
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