Drones and helicopters make fitting pair

Helicopters have been a part of agriculture since the mid-20th century. But given advances in drone and satellite technology, are helicopters still a viable and popular production tool?

Yes, says Stan Mace, pilot and agriculture division manager for Waterloo-based air services company Great Lakes Helicopter (GLH). He sees drones as a complementary tool.

Why it matters: Drones and helicopters can be complimentary production tools for growers.

GLH has been operating primarily in Ontario and Quebec since 2003. Its agricultural services include input application, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), high-resolution imaging and seeding – or what Mace calls “bucketing.”

“Demand grows every year, but corn fungicide application was the building block many years ago,” said Mace. “There was a lot of challenges with ground application. Pollen plugging nozzles and radiators, guys not being able to see the ground because of the height of the corn. It opened up an opportunity for aerial application.”

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Annually, GLH operates seven aircraft as fungicide applicators in Ontario. Demand can spike when disease pressure is high or expected to be significant. However, Mace said more growers are employing the company as a proactive measure against disease even in drier conditions. Conversely, higher insect pressure during drought conditions increases the demand for aerially applied insecticide.

“There are growers that will do it regardless of price. I remember people having it done when corn was $3.75 a bushel,” he said. “There are definitely more when corn is over $5. With record prices this year, it was crazy. You can never have enough aircraft.”

Mace said safety is always top of mind. Fields requesting GHL services are first mapped and assessed for potential hazards. He and his colleagues work in tandem with agricultural retailers who collect and supply field maps.

Long-standing relationships with Agromart and other agribusinesses help identify areas where helicopters may not be suitable.

Those cases are few but not unheard of, he said.

“Over the years, we’ve learned a lot of our limitations. Our pilots are pretty skilled, and most fields are not a problem,” said Mace. “Wires in fields, obstacles, or fields in and around really built-up areas – they stay away from those.” 

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Mace said reluctance to operate in close proximity to built-up areas stems from both practical safety concerns and a negative public perception of helicopter spraying.

“There are certain areas we won’t go into because of perceptions. The dynamic is a little different from ground units. It changes the perception,” he said. “Maybe it’s a holdover from when they used to spray Agent Orange.”

Drone opportunity

Drones are the next frontier in aerial application. Mace said rather than a being threat to the helicopter applicator businesses, the technology is a valuable extension of capability. He and his colleagues already use drones for imaging and mapping tasks.

Barriers, including a lack of regulatory criteria from the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), prevent them from employing drones as sprayers.

Chemical companies will also have to make strides.

“The product itself has to have an aerial application permissible on the label,” says Mace.

“I guess we’re anxiously waiting for PMRA to get their ducks in a row, and for the chemical companies themselves…Will it be divided into fix wing and rotor wing? Then is rotor broken down into drone and helicopter? How will rates change?”

Mace said he hopes PMRA will release regulatory criteria soon, hopefully sometime in 2023. He also believes in continued roles for large- and small-scale aircraft.

“A 40-litre tank compared to a 300, 400, 800 or even 1,000-litre tank is substantially different. You’re going to need more drones to cover the area in a timely or feasible fashion. That may require a fleet in a field, which is exciting as well. Drones could get into areas that are smaller, where drift is more of a risk… we’re embracing this as another tool we can utilize.”