– It will be exciting to see how it works “in real life”, says Magnar Velure, who is a fruit grower in Sørfjorden. In a fruit field at NIBIO at Lofthus in Ullensvang, many farmers and researchers have turned up to watch testing of spraying with drones. Because can pesticide spraying with drones be an option for Norwegian fruit growers? The farmers and the research community in Hardanger hope so. Several countries have approved the use of drones for spraying. Experiments from abroad have shown that spraying with drones in fields with grapes can reduce the use of pesticides by up to 45 per cent. But in Norway this is not the law today. Nevertheless, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority approved, for the first time in Norway, spraying with fungicide by drone on a dispensation recently. The dispensation applies to spraying against dry rot in potatoes, on areas that cannot be driven by tractor due to large amounts of rainfall after the extreme weather Hans. Exciting technology Many people now hope that the technology can gradually be adopted by Norwegian fruit growers. – I thought that this must be right in the middle of my garden at home. It is steep and slippery, says Velure enthusiastically after seeing the drone in use. Today, it is common to use a tractor and fog sprayer. But in the steep fruit fields in Western Norway, in periods of heavy rain, driving a tractor can be a risk. When the ground is wet and slippery, the tractor can slip when spraying. – Using drones makes it much safer for the person spraying. Today, you are happy to sit with your heart in your throat when you sit in the tractor on the steepest hills, says Velure. He also points out that the fruit growers may be less exposed to the chemicals. INITIATIVE: Magnar Velure is a fruit grower in Ullensvang and one of the instigators to test spraying with drones. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Carrying out tests Endre Bjotveit from the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Board has carried out tests to see how the drift of the pesticide is when using drones compared to today’s sprayers. – I think it looks very promising. We get good coverage down the three, and it looks like there is little drift, so this is certainly something we can go ahead with and try out, says Bjotveit. He believes that drones can make it easier to get out with spraying at the right time in gardens where it is steep and difficult to drive. And that it will be easier to keep the somewhat heavily driven area in operation. It is not allowed to use pesticides in drones in Norway, so the tests are carried out with water. Here drone pilot Atilla Haugen from Biodrone fills the drone with water. Endre Bjotveit from NLR, drone pilot Atilla Haugen and Thomas Harris from NIBIO check the results of the test spraying. The sheet shows whether there has been drift from the experiment. The sheet reacts to water and turns blue. Here you can see some small blue dots. Endre Bjotveit from Norwegian Agricultural Research Council looks at test results after the drone has sprayed water in the apple orchards. The drone is on its way to a new test in the apple orchards. A long way to go But the regulations, seen today, put a stop to its use in Norway. The EU does not approve spraying with drones today, and there are no pesticides approved for such use. Nevertheless, a lot is happening in the area and the EU is working on creating common rules for the use of drones. – It will probably result in us being able to change our regulations for the use of drones with certain conditions. In that case, it must be documented that the drone entails less risk than the alternative method of spreading, says section manager Line Ruden in the plants and inputs section at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is now working closely with the EU on drone use. – We want progress, but we also have to make sure that it is done in a safe and sound manner, says Ruden. Ruden points out that the Norwegian Food Safety Authority is working to reduce the use of pesticides. – Previously, drones for such use can be very different, and a significant challenge with several of these drones is large drift, Ruden explains. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Optimist – I think it will take a few more years before the regulations open up for the use of pesticides with drones, but I see that the commitment and interest is great, says daily manager Atilla Haugen of Biodrone AS. He points out that the technology is widely used in Asia today, and now also in America. – Now it says on the EU and the regulations there. What is needed is more information about the method, technology and approval of the pesticide. But I think this will come, says Haugen. – I hope that it will come within two years, but I have to be realistic and say four or five years. But until the opposite is proven, I have faith, says farmer Velure. PROFESSIONAL DAY: Many had made the trip to take part in the professional day organized by the Norwegian Agricultural Research Council. This is part of a preliminary project that is supported by the Grofondet and Vestland County Council. Photo: Tale Hauso / news
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Håpar drone can revolutionize the spraying of fruit – news Vestland
