May 8, 2015Farmers now approved to spray crops with drones
Agriculture is changing right before our eyes.
According to recent media reports, a drone large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides has won a rare approval from federal authorities to spray crops in the United States.”
The FAA approval was announced earlier this week.
Here’s more from the Washington Post:
The drone, called the RMAX, is a remotely piloted helicopter that weighs 207 pounds (94 kilograms), said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft.
Smaller drones weighing a few pounds had already been approved for limited use to take pictures that help farmers identify unhealthy crops. The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, Markofski said.
The drone already has been used elsewhere, including by rice farmers in Japan.
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