For broadacre work, The DJI T50 can cover up to 17 ha (42 acres) of cotton per hour (at 20L per ha application rate (one drone). 130 ha per day is a good day. These are real world achievements cited from our own cotton farming customers in QLD and validated on-site. Expect particularly good results with fungicide, foliar, micros and insecticide. The spreader/hopper results are particularly outstanding as well.
For spot spraying, compared to a quick spray, you should expect to be roughly twice as efficient and be using 10%-50% less chemical to get the same kill rate (spray drones are famous for their efficacy because they have the advantage of their big rotors pushing droplets down, and circulating them throughout the target. So if an area normally takes you 4 days with a quick spray, you will do it in 2 days with the drone, and will be using less chemical and working less hard – as you’re more efficient and not walking up and down steep hills with a hose. Even with a motorised reel on a quick spray, it’s still relatively hard work.
In some cases we have found that spot spraying on extremely rough terrain can be a lot quicker than traditional ground application. An area of 20ha may yield 5ha of target weed like blackberry. Using drones we can map this area so we only spray the target plant, and we would cover that area (even in very complex and difficult terrain) in 5 to 7 hr. Using a hand spray on the same terrain, we tested a contractor and they took 4 to 5 days (two loads a day due to high travel for refill).
Compared to a helicopter , you will see far more spray control/precision is possible. The automated systems on a drone allow for very accurate (down to 10mm) GPS positioning, This means no stripping due to spray run positioning. The low operational height of the drone also allows for better droplet control over traditional aerial application. Droplets are retained in the rotor wash and pushed onto the target. Fly your DJI T50 over the weeds - its rotors will drive the chemical down from above the centre of the target weed section, and quickly move on to the next section. You can even pre-map the area, shade in the sections of weed over the map (with your computer mouse), save it as a prescription map, and the T50 will autonomously go out and saturate each patch of weeds on its own.
How to compare a spray drone with an self-propelled (SP) sprayer
Whilst productivity has come a long way with the DJI T50, you still need multiple drones to cover what an SP sprayer can do in a day. Let’s say you’re doing 500 ha a day with your SP sprayer. You might need 4x T50 drones to do the same, but it’s important to note an SP sprayer costs about 20x as much ($800k or more), requires a lot more maintenance, and can’t operate on soft (wet) ground. So whilst a T50 is not an SP sprayer, it punches way above its weight considering its size, cost, and versatility. Not to mention its modular design, uncomplicated maintenance program, low cost of parts, no diesel expense, and much more efficient use of inputs.
Keep in mind, operating one or more spray drones requires battery changes and liquid/granular refills as a steady workflow as you’re going. You’re not sitting in the cab of an SP sprayer, however the largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world suggests this may not be good for you.
We have many customers who choose to have an extra person (2 people) licensed and trained up. This is good for staff/operational redundancy, good for general information sharing as a team during the drone learning curve. Customers frequently comment that their drone purchase has helped them and other family members stay passionate about being on the property by way of using interesting technology to achieve more efficient ways of doing things.
Almost all our customers comment on the simple availability of the drone being such an asset – they can go and spray any time day or night , especially useful when your weather window closes in , or when contractors are unavailable / booked out.
The T100 is coming next and is expected to be doing 225 ha per day. If you run 4 of them that’s 900 ha per day – this new T100 will really push spray drones into broadacre farming.
