Drone Spraying / Agrichemical Application

Additional rules and regulations govern the application of agrichemicals by UAV. The Civil Aviation Authority requires that any person using a UAV for the aerial application of agrichemicals is certified under Part 102 of the Civil Aviation Rules. In addition, the Hazardous Substances (Hazardous Property Controls) Notice 2017 requires that the aerial application of highly ecotoxic agrichemicals by unmanned aircraft is only performed by a "person ... operating under the authority of, and in accordance with the terms of, a valid unmanned aircraft operator certificate under Part 102 of the Civil Aviation Rules". This provision applies to class 9.1A, 9.2A, 9.3A or 9.4A pesticide or plant growth regulators and certain other agrichemicals specified in section 62 of the Notice. The size of any drone that can carry a useful spray payload means that your drone will exceed 15kg at take-off. This means that in order to fly the drone you must be authorised by a person or organisation approved by CAA. Pilot Training and Qualification As you will be spraying ecotoxic chemicals, CAA will require that you have appropriate chemical training. You will require: UAS Pilot Certificate (Part 102 Operations) Pilot Chemical Rating - Adroit Solutions or Educhem UAV Agricultural Rating - see below UAV Agricultural Rating This advanced course is for a person who intends to use a UAV for the aerial application of agrichemicals. Separate ratings (and training) are available for UAV Aerial Spraying and UAV Aerial Topdressing. Pre-requisites are: an approved pilot qualification; a current (within 12 months) flight test on the make and model of machine intended for spraying; and a chemical rating. To proceed to the practical application of agrichemicals within the course, CAA will also require the candidate to hold or be operating under a Part 102 certificate that includes the privilege of aerial agrichemical application. Clients Our clients for agrichemical application by drone include: Aeronavics Aerial Spraying Services Ltd (website) AgDrone Ltd (website)- read the NZ Herald article AgSmart UAV Ltd (Facebook) Ecology New Zealand Ltd (website) Pyka LLC Tango 10 Ltd Tiro 360 Ltd Flightworks If you are contemplating purchasing a spray drone or already have one and require assistance with Part 102 certification or training contact us. Additional Resources Key New Zealand Resources: Hazardous Substances (Hazardous Property Controls) Notice 2017 NZS 8409:2004 Management of agrichemicals, Standards New Zealand EPA Notices for hazardous substances EPA Codes of Practice for Hazardous Substances Other Information: Agricultural operations safety checklist GROWSAFE Summaries of Regional Plans Reducing Spray Drift, North Dakota State University Using Delta-T for Assessing Spray Conditions, Crop Smart Australia Limiting spray drift and improving coverage, Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Northern Territory Australia Managing Aerial Application of Pesticides, Report, CSIRO and SCION