Nebraska Extension is hosting the first sprayer drone conference in Nebraska on Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Aurora. This one-day event will provide participants an opportunity to interact with fellow sprayer drone enthusiasts and learn the necessary steps to enter the sprayer drone arena. The conference is for anyone who wants to know more about sprayer drone technology, whether using sprayer drones for crop or livestock production.
“It has become increasingly clear that aerial application of agro-chemicals and seed with drones is becoming very popular,” said Dr. Dirk Charlson, statewide Nebraska Extension educator for digital agriculture. “We all have a lot of questions regarding regulations and efficacy of using sprayer drones, and Nebraska Extension hopes this conference will answer some of these questions.”
Kevin Knorr of Volitant Technologies of Dunbar, Nebraska agrees.
“Spray drones have become an indispensable piece of technology in defining spray tools needed for production farming today,” Knorr said.
Knorr owns and operates one of the first sprayer drone businesses in Nebraska, and he will share his experiences during the conference.
Conference speakers will address how to get started with using sprayer drones in a farming operation or business, legal requirements of using sprayer drone technology for agro-chemical applications, and thoughts on how to safely share the national airspace with manned aircraft.
Presenters include Kevin Knorr of Volitant Technologies, Libby Smith of Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Chad Hendricks of Hendricks Flying Service, and Dirk Charlson of Nebraska Extension. Nebraska sprayer drone pilots will also be available for an open forum discussion during the conference.
The conference starts at 9 a.m. on March 28 at The Leadership Center, located at 2211 Q St., Aurora, NE 68818. Light breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the conference will wrap up by 3 p.m.
Certified Crop Advisor continuing education credits for attending the conference are pending.
Registration is available online. Pre-registration is required with a $75 registration fee. Contact Dirk Charlson at 402-460-0742 with questions or comments.
