AMES, Iowa—Farmers, crop consultants, retailers and others looking to leverage drone technology for their business are invited to attend the second annual Spray Drone Essentials Workshop, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab. The workshop will be held on June 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab in Ames.
The full-day event is designed for both curious farmers and licensed applicators, providing foundational knowledge and advanced insights into agricultural drone spraying.
Workshop topics include compliance and regulations for personal versus custom applicators, general operations and setup and safety. Hands-on demonstrations from several drone service providers will also be featured.
While the use of drones in agriculture continues to be a popular conversation among farmers across the Midwest, many are uncertain about their use and impacts. Doug Houser, digital agriculture extension specialist at Iowa State, notes that workshops like this one help producers determine whether the technology is a fit for their operations.
“We are still early in the adoption curve, but drones are getting better at a range of applications from crop scouting and rock identification to developing spray prescriptions, and farmers want to know more about them,” he said.
Participants will also gain insight into Federal Aviation Administration regulatory considerations, insurance and risk management, equipment selection and more.
Registration
Those interested must complete online registration by May 28. The cost to attend is $300, which includes lunch and course materials. The workshop is limited to 60 participants.
For more information, visit the Spray Drone Essentials Workshop webpage or contact Houser at dhouser@iastate.edu.
(contributed press release, ISUANR)
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