Chris Clegg
South Peace News
Technology is rapidly entering every phase of life so it should be no surprise farming is included.
A drone demonstration at Prairie Ag Sales & Rentals in High Prairie June 16 showed agriculture producers the benefits to having drones seed their crops and spray their fields.
“It’s the wave of the future,” says Lyndon Drefs, owner of Prairie Ag Sales. They are also the dealer for Flaman Rentals, which sells the drones.
About 80 interested producers (40 each) attended the morning and afternoon sessions.
The technology has arrived for drones to seed and spray crops. The obvious advantage is wet fields can be farmed and no tracks are left in the field. Crops are also not damaged by machinery. Seeding and spraying also becomes perfectly precise with GPS systems worked into the operation of the drones so no part of the field is missed.
And perhaps it may be a lot cheaper to buy a drone rather than expensive equipment. High-end sprayers can cost well over $100,000 whereas drones can be purchased for $50,000. Of course, one has to learn how to fly a drone (and get an advanced drone license from Transport Canada) but training is available.
It is also best advised to make sure fields are not located in a no-fly zone, but permission can be granted to so it’s not too much of a worry.
Drefs will do demonstrations by appointment only. Farmers can also be set up to take training sessions online.
Prairie Ag first started dealing with drones in April. Call them at (78) 523-1200 for more information. They are located just east of High Prairie on Highway 2.
