Drone technology took centre stage at the Rotary NQ Field Days last week with spraying and spreading demonstrations showcasing the potential future of the horticulture industry.
Travis Van Dooren of Travearth Drone Services owns and operates an agricultural spraying and spreading business providing solutions to traditional land management practices.
Mr Van Dooren had seen the technological uptake across the board.
"Horticulture is obviously massive, but there is also sugarcane, peanuts - everything," he said.
"Anything that you can spray, it's got an opportunity."
Travearth Drone Services focus on new innovation to enhance efficiencies that aim to reduce costs and environmental impacts.
Mr Van Dooren utilises a fleet of DJI spray dones ranging from a couple of thousand and up to a $50,000 price tag.
"Our fleet is able to spray herbicides and pesticides, spread seed or pellets, and even disperse beneficial bugs," he said.
"The system is evenly applied. It is consistent, flows and is all digitally recorded or adjusted.
"What may traditionally take two days to do a place, I can go in and it takes two hours."
Mr Van Dooren said the process includes flying the drone around the edges to mark the boundaries.
"You can then set up inside that space, which way you want to fly, how wide, how high and the rate of chemical to be applied," he said.
"Producers are starting to see the big benefits."
The machines can be both fully automated or humanly controlled. However, as a relatively new technology, Mr Van Dooren said there are limitations.
"Some of our limitations are time," he said.
"I can do four to five hectares in an hour, but if you've got 300 hundred hectares that need to be done today, at this stage it is just out of reach."
Not only a contracting business, Mr Van Dooren also sells the machines to interested producers.
"I work with farmers on areas that need doing," he said.
"There may be little parts that are hard to get too.
"The other side is I can sell to producers, which I will then spend two days with setting up and going through some training."
Mr Van Dooren said drone owners require a remote pilot licence to operate and fly the machine to understand flying rules.
"It's usually an online course, but it just helps to understand the rules around flying."
Want news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the North Queensland Register newsletter below.
Zoe Thomas
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
Northern based journalist at North Queensland Register and Queensland Country Life.
