On average, ag aviation makes at least one application to approximately 127 million crop acres, or one-third of the cropland in the U.S.
Citing a study by Texas A&M, Andrew Moore, president of the National Ag Aviation Association says the industry adds $37 billion in yield to the five main row crops.
This is just one example of the role ag aviation plays across all of agriculture.
As Moore explains, it’s a 104-year-old industry, with many multi-generation operations and pilot families. In the U.S., there are more than 1,500 aerial application businesses.
“It’s a very progressive industry, and it’s a very mature industry,” Moore says.
On average, ag aviation makes at least one application to around 127 million crop acres, or one-third of the cropland in the U.S.
“In addition, the industry treats 7.9 million acres of pasture and rangeland, 5.1 million acres of forestry, 5 million acres of mosquito habitat, and that doesn’t include the work fighting forest fires,” Moore says.
Trends in ag aviation include larger aircraft, precision technologies, new applications (such as cover crop seeding) and uncrewed (drone) aircraft.
Right now, the largest ag aircraft is an Air Tractor 802 with 800 gal. capacity, but the company has announced the development of a new model 1002 with 1,000 gal. capacity.
“Five percent of the those with a crewed operation are also in uncrewed/UAS drones,” Moore says. “Another 11% are considering it.”
According to the American Spray Drone Coalition, about 10.3 million acres are sprayed by uncrewed aircraft every year.
Challenges In The Industry
Moore highlights two current challenges NAAA is closely watching.
He says the main purpose of the association is to work toward product registrations for aerial application.
“It’s important we can provide data for those regulatory processes to get more accurate information on the exposure and application of those pesticides via aerial application,” Moore says.
As examples, he points to how they can help mitigate off-target drift and use data to show what buffers may need to be.
A second concern is the current uncertainty around trade and tariffs.
The largest ag aircraft manufacturer, Air Tractor, is located in Texas while Thrush, another large volume manufacturer, is located in Georgia. But raw materials, engines and parts are sourced globally.
“The majority of our engines today are turbine engines — it’s about 85% of the industry. The most popular engine make is manufactured by Pratt & Whitney in Canada.” Moore says. “You could see an increase in the price of an engine of 25%, which is significant.”
What You Should Know About Ag Pilots
“If you want the job done quickly and effectively to maximize yields, aerial application is the great way to go,” Moore says.
Source - https://www.thedailyscoop.com
