Interest in spray drones continues to rise, despite being banned or restricted in many countries. At the recent Agritechnica event, Chinese companies DJI and XAG faced competition from European manufacturers, including those from Turkey, Hungary, Germany, and Denmark.
DJI Agriculture used Agritechnica to showcase its latest models, set to be released next year. Among them was the Agras T50, DJI’s largest agricultural drone, with a 40kg spraying or 50kg spreading payload. Equipped with front and rear radars and dual binocular vision, the drone also features a high-resolution FPV gimbal camera for crop scanning and spraying. New atomising nozzles mounted beneath the rotors allow for the production of fine to very coarse droplets, with a swath width of 11m.
Topxgun, a lesser-known Chinese drone manufacturer, presented its range of drones at the event. The FP150, with a 15-litre tank capacity, and the FP300, with a 30-litre tank capacity, were already on the market. The FP500, with a 40-litre capacity, and the FP600, with a 50-litre capacity, both feature air pressure atomisation nozzles. All models are controlled by in-house designed controllers, which offer precise 3D route planning.
Turkey has seen an increase in the use of spray drones, with reports of large areas being covered in the past year. Hattat Trackör, a Turkish manufacturer primarily known for tractors, unveiled a new drone at Agritechnica. Developed in collaboration with sister company Hema, the drone has a 25kg maximum take-off weight and a 10-litre tank capacity. The spray system includes conventional nozzles positioned under each rotor, allowing for flowrates up to 3.5 litres/min.
Appia Drone Tech, a Romanian and Hungarian joint venture, introduced the ADT Falcon 50L at the event. Priced at €12,500, the drone has a 50-litre capacity tank and a maximum take-off weight of 90kg. Equipped with two centrifugal, electrostatic nozzles, the drone can produce droplets ranging from 50 to 200 microns in size, with flowrates of up to 16 litres/min. The dual CPU flight controller uses an Android App compatible with Google Maps and imported KML files.
Hungary-based ABZ Innovation used its experience operating spray drones to develop its own model, the L10. The four-rotor drone comes in three versions, with tank capacities ranging from 6 to 10 litres. The drone uses CDA nozzles and can deliver flowrates of up to 12 litres/ha. It also offers the option to fit a Trichogamma spreading system for biological control.
In Denmark, where spraying rules are strict, sprayer manufacturer Danfoil collaborated on a drone sprayer for a green development project. The CropDrone stands out as one of the few drones powered by a combustion engine. Equipped with low volume, air-assisted nozzles, the drone is designed to work at low volumes of 30-50 litres/ha. The ultimate goal is for the drone to scan the crop, transmit the data back to base, receive a prescription map, and apply spot treatments accordingly.
Finally, German start-up Fluktor showcased its CS50 Agricultural Drone, which can be equipped with various attachments, including sprayers and spreaders. The drone, with a 60kg take-off weight, was displayed with a 30-litre capacity Agrotop sprayer. The sprayer operates at 3 bar and delivers a flowrate of up to 12 litres/min.
Despite the bans and restrictions, the interest in spray drones continues to grow, with manufacturers from various countries showcasing their latest models at Agritechnica. As technology advances and regulations evolve, spray drones may become more widely accepted and integrated into modern agriculture practices.