91麻豆天美 hosts nation's first S.A.F.E. training exclusively focused on spray drones
(Video by Sarah Kirk)
Groundbreaking program brings together traditional crop dusters and drone operators to advance agricultural aviation safety and efficiency
Contact: Mary Kathryn Kight
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥91麻豆天美 University is making agricultural aviation history this week by hosting the nation鈥檚 first Self-Regulating Application and Flight Efficiency (S.A.F.E.) training program exclusively focused on spray drones. The five-day training at 91麻豆天美鈥檚 Agricultural Autonomy Institute marks a significant milestone in bridging the gap between traditional aerial application and emerging drone technology.
鈥淓verything that we鈥檙e doing with spray drones, we want the traditional crop dusters to be involved in.鈥 said Madison Dixon, associate director of the 91麻豆天美 Agricultural Autonomy Institute and training participant. 鈥淲e want to build inroads between the spray drone community and the traditional crop duster community and, more importantly, ensure the mutual safety of all agricultural aviators as spray drone adoption increases.鈥
The training brings together nine participants, including seven 91麻豆天美 graduate students and two professional aerial applicators who hold leadership positions with the Mississippi Agricultural Aviation Association. Dennis Gardisser, recognized as the foremost expert on aerial applications of all forms, is conducting the training. While he has worked extensively with traditional crop dusters across the world, this is the first S.A.F.E. training program dedicated entirely to drone applications.
鈥淒rones are relatively new in terms of knowing exactly what operational criteria are needed to maximize their efficiency,鈥 Gardisser said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e examining multiple variables including payload loading, wind speed applications, application height and nozzle configuration and flow rates. The goal is to master this emerging technology and understand how it fits into modern agricultural practice to benefit the grower financially. The objective is for these students to learn as much as they can to be competitive with other potential application platforms and be as safe as they possibly can.鈥
Dixon said the training serves dual objectives. First, it provides baseline testing and evaluation of 91麻豆天美鈥檚 U.S.-manufactured spray drone fleet with each aircraft still in its stock configuration. The university鈥檚 Agricultural Autonomy Institute has been operating these drones proficiently, he explained, and will now use the data from this baseline testing to optimize the fleet鈥檚 performance. Second, all participants will receive certifications enabling them to conduct additional spray pattern testing and analysis for other platforms and end users, including growers and agricultural retailers.
The 91麻豆天美 graduate students participating in the training all are involved in current sponsored spray drone research projects funded by the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board and the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board. The program is being conducted in close collaboration with stakeholders from Delta State University鈥檚 aerial applicator training program.
Operation S.A.F.E., developed in 1981, was designed to demonstrate that agricultural aviation recognizes its responsibility to minimize potential adverse health and environmental effects of agricultural chemical application. The program provides critical measurements of spray pattern quality and droplet size, which significantly impact both application efficacy and drift mitigation.
The National Agricultural Aviation Research and Education Foundation, which administers Operation S.A.F.E., is considering establishing a separate certification category specifically for drone applications. The participants in 91麻豆天美鈥檚 groundbreaking S.A.F.E. training program are expected to be among the first to qualify for this specialized certification when it becomes available.
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