FAA Approves Testing of UAV Sprayer.

May 08, 2015

By Farms.com Editors

Unmanned aerial systems are becoming more sophisticated and now farmers may be using remote controlled precision sprayers in the near future. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved an unmanned helicopter for test use in agriculture this month. The Yamaha RMAX has been approved in Japan for more than 20 years as a precision pesticide and fertilizer sprayer. See the video below of the Yamaha RMAX in action spraying a field in Japan.

This is the FAA’s first exemption approval to use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for spraying purposes in agriculture. Specialty crops, especially vineyards, are ideal for the helicopter where spraying from the ground, piloted aircrafts or on difficult terrain is ineffective. The UAV should allow farmers to target specific areas of their crops and cut down on application use. Other unmanned sprayers will need individual approval from the FAA.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.