Spray drone demonstration night held in Middle Tarwin

Drones are of significant interest to Victorian vegetable growers, following a very wet summer that saw substantial crop losses due to extended periods of restricted field access. Earlier this month, Food & Fibre Gippsland’s VegNET Regional Development Officer Emily Scott coordinated a spray drone demonstration night in partnership with Schreurs & Sons, Syngenta, and E.E. Muir & Sons.

The night provided 60 growers and agronomists with the opportunity to see a direct in-field comparison between conventional tractor-mounted spray applications and new drone-mounted technology.

With 14 farms represented at the event, along with numerous agronomists, it was considered a great success; many of the attending growers now see drones as a viable option in vegetable farming.

The spray night was made possible thanks to the generosity of Adam Schreurs and his team, with the event held at Schreurs & Sons’ Middle Tarwin farm.

Having utilised spray drones over the past twelve months, Adam Schreurs and Danny Rickard from Schreurs & Sons were able to provide valuable insight into the pros and cons of adopting the technology.

As a follow-up to the event, Emily has written a case study entitled The role of spray drones in vegetable farming. The publication details the benefits and practicalities of using spray drones in intensive vegetable production. 

To keep up to date with VegNET Gippsland news and events, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, visit the VegNET Gippsland webpage, or follow ‘VegNET_Gippsland’ on Facebook and Instagram.

 For more information, please email Emily or call 0455 214 102.