World First for OCP – Drones and Insect mating disruption usher in a new dawn in insect management
Last week saw a world first being witnessed in South Australia under the watchful eye of James Gardner (OCP Senior Agronomist) and the team from Skyline Aviation Group. The first ever trials using a drone (Vapor 55 UAV Helicopter) as a delivery system for SPLAT EC-O Carob moth mating disruption was conducted in an Almond Orchard in SA. The trial had a number of minor technical issues, including the wind but eventually the drone was able to deliver the payload effectively and efficiently.
The time spent in the field was invaluable for OCP and the Skyline team to understand the nuances of flying drones in tree crops while accurately delivering a product like SPLAT. Overall the trial went very well and with a few adjustments to the system we are all very confident that Skyline will be delivering SPLAT all over the country for Carob moth, Light Brown Apple moth, Codling Moth and Oriental Fruit moth next season.