In the heart of Norfolk, a new era of agricultural technology is taking flight. Chris Eglington, a farmer at Letton near Shipdham and a director of farm technology supplier Crop Angel, is at the forefront of this technological revolution. The company has recently taken delivery of its first DJI Agras T100 drone, a powerful, autonomous, satellite-guided machine that is being put through its paces before being demonstrated to potential customers at the LAMMA farm machinery show in Birmingham on January 14-15.
The DJI Agras T100 drone, with a wingspan of 3.2m between the tips of its eight rotors and a 100kg payload capacity, is a marvel of modern engineering. However, its use for spraying chemicals is currently restricted by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Chemical Regulations Directorate (CRD). As a result, its main purpose at the moment is spreading seeds into standing crops to establish cover or companion crops.
Mr. Eglington highlighted the growing demand for this technology, driven by government grants for drone technology and incentives for growing cover crops during the winter to protect soil health and structure between cash crops. “Through the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), the government is paying farmers to put in cover crops. There are also grants for drones, so that is encouraging people to use technology,” he said.
The drone’s ability to carry 100kg of seeds, coupled with the absence of soil compaction and the need for tramlines or spreading width, makes it a highly efficient tool for modern farming. The T100 is an updated version of the previous T50 model, eight of which have already been sold to farmers by Crop Angel. The new drone costs less than £20,000 with all the available hardware, and the company also provides training and technical support to customers.
Safety features of the drone include on-board cameras, radar, and LiDAR – a remote-sensing technology using beams of laser light – to detect and avoid obstacles in the landscape. Crop Angel is part of a group of similar companies speaking to the CAA and CRD, hoping to remove the “stumbling blocks” to using drone technology for agrochemical sprays. Technical manager Harry Shephard expressed optimism about the future, stating, “Now they are changing it so drones have their own classification, which will hopefully soon allow us to do chemicals.”
As the agricultural industry continues to evolve, the integration of drone technology like the DJI Agras T100 represents a significant step forward. The implications for increased efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved soil health are substantial, marking a new chapter in the ongoing story of agricultural innovation.