Drone First IN US to Apply Spray to Napa Vineyard

I'm Susan Allen it's Vine to Wine Wednesday on the Fruit Grower Report, Vineyards can be tricky to apply fungicides and pesticides on due to the fact they are often on hilly and remote terrain. Enter Yamaha Motor's RMAX a remotely piloted helicopter for agriculture spraying that had it's first official US debut in a Napa Valley vineyard in May! The RMAX applied a fungicide for control of powdery mildew. Having worked Napa, I wondered how affluent neighbors in that region concerned about privacy would welcome the RMAX and Ken Giles a professor with UC Davis who has been working with the RMAX was happy to address this:

I think given the particular application with this aircraft, the fact that's it's very visible, very specific use and who ever is under that aircraft is going to be happy that it's there, because they've paid for it or hired that aircraft to fly over their property either to spray or inspect or some other purpose... so with an aircraft like this designed with a very specific purpose I think those concerns are very very very less relevant for this aircraft than something that's quiet.

I'm sure our listeners will be able to hear it in the back ground.

It would be like a motorcycle trying to sneak up on you, it's not very stealthy at all. But it is pretty dang cool and looks just like a small helicopter and provides a solution for growers in tough terrain.