Spraying and Spreading Services

AviAg’s drone spraying services offer farmers and land owners a safer and more sustainable way of treating crops and pastures. Drone crop spraying reduces the risk of accidents as well as exposure to hazardous substances.

In addition, using drones to spray crops is more precise than traditional methods due to the use of GPS and advanced imaging technology. It’s also more cost-effective due to its ability to cover larger areas more efficiently.

Although we are based in Yackandandah, Victoria, our drone spraying and spreading services are also available to customers in northeast Victoria and southern NSW areas, including Beechworth, Chiltern, Indigo Valley, Albury, Wodonga, Kiewa, Rutherglen, Stanley, Tangambalanga, Corowa, Glenrowan, Holbrook, Chiltern, Wangaratta, Bright, Myrtleford, Kiewa, Tallangatta Valley, Mt Beauty, Towonga, Khancoban, and Alpine Valley.

We also provide drone spraying and spreading services for large scopes of work in Wagga Wagga, Tumut, Shepperton, and Tocumwal areas.

Specialise in Spraying Hard-to-Reach Areas

The combination of advanced imaging technology, GPS, and expert control of drones allows us to specialise in spraying hard-to-reach areas, such as gullies, creeks, hillsides, and steep terrain.

As mentioned above, the technological advantages of using drones for spraying and spreading activities make this method more accurate and efficient than traditional means, enabling us to complete projects that would usually take several weeks to finish in only a couple of days - 2 Weeks for You, 2 Days for Us.

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Using drones for spraying reduces the need to directly handle potentially hazardous chemicals. This minimises the risk of exposure to harmful substances and reduces the likelihood of accidents or injuries.
Drones can access areas that are difficult or dangerous for traditional machinery to reach. This includes steep terrain, remote areas, or regions with obstacles such as trees or power lines. By reaching these areas, drones help to maximise the effectiveness of chemical or fertiliser application.
Drones can be deployed in various weather conditions, including when the ground is wet or muddy. This flexibility allows our pilots to treat pastures even during periods when traditional machinery would be impractical or ineffective. Treating pastures at the right time, even in adverse weather conditions, helps protect crops when they are most vulnerable and ensures optimal growth and health.
Drone spraying offers precise application of chemicals, fertilisers, or other outputs. By utlising GPS and advanced imaging technology, drones can apply treatments with high accuracy, minimising waste and ensuring uniform coverage across a targeted area. This precision not only optimises resource usage but also reduces environmental impact by minimising chemical runoff.
Drones can cover large areas quickly and efficiently, reducing the need for manual labour and expensive machinery. Additionally, the ability to treat pastures with precision and target specific areas reduces input costs and maximises the effectiveness of treatments.

Spraying Drone Benefits

Using a drone offers several advantages over traditional boom sprayers or manual spraying on foot. Here are a few of the key reasons:
1. Efficiency and Speed
Faster Coverage: Drones can cover large areas much quicker than spraying on foot. A drone can fly over the weeds and spray in a fraction of the time it would take a person to manually spray each individual plant.
Reduced Labour Costs: Drones can reduce the need for human labour, which can be particularly valuable in large fields or areas that are difficult to access on foot.
2. Precision and Accuracy
Targeted Application: Drones equipped with advanced GPS and sensors can spray weeds and crops with high precision, reducing the amount of chemicals used. This can be particularly important when treating specific areas.
Variable Rate Technology: Drones can be programmed to adjust the spray rate depending on factors like weed density, ensuring more efficient use of resources.
3. Accessibility and Terrain
Hard-to-Reach Areas: Drones can access areas that might be difficult to reach with a boom sprayer (e.g., steep slopes, dense terrain, or wet fields). They can fly over obstacles and spray hard-to-access places without needing manual intervention.
Reduced Soil Compaction: Unlike boom sprayers or foot spraying, which might require heavy machinery or walking across the field, drones avoid soil compaction and disturbance to the soil structure, which is especially important in fragile or sensitive environments.
Travel is an inherent part of working in a specialised industry.
To ensure we can support our clients wherever they are, AviAg includes travel within a 30 km radius of our office in Yackandandah at no additional charge. For locations beyond this area, travel is charged on a per-kilometre basis and will be clearly itemised in your quotation.
Actual coverage will depend on factors like terrain, application rates and weather.
Here are some general guidelines for the work AviAg can do using a DJI T50.
Area Covered per Hour: The T50 can cover up to 10-15 hectares per hour when spraying under optimal conditions. This can vary based on factors like spray rate, weather, and terrain. On flat land with light vegetation, it may approach the upper end of that range.
Spray/Spread Tank Capacity: The T50 has a 40L tank for liquid spraying, and 50kg for granular products. This allows us to cover a significant area per refill. However, the exact coverage per tank will depend on the application rate (how much herbicide, pesticide, seed or fertiliser you're applying per hectare).
Flight Time and Battery Life: The DJI T50 has a flight time of about 15-20 minutes per battery (depending on payload and conditions). It comes with a smart battery system, and multiple batteries can be swapped to extend operational time.
Spray Width: The drone has a spray width of up to 10 meters, which further improves coverage and efficiency. However, for best results, a common spray width of around 7.5m is used for better accuracy.
The cost of using AviAg's drone spraying services can vary based on several factors, such as the size of the area to be treated, the type of service required (e.g. spraying, spreading, mapping, or other precision ag tasks), and the specific conditions of the field.
AviAg primarily operates on an hourly rate for most jobs, however a hectare rate for applications in crops can be discussed. We find this structure works best for both our clients and us as service providers.
At AviAg, we collaborate closely with a range of agronomists who can provide a chemical recommendation for the best approach to your specific needs. Alternatively, if you currently work with or have worked with an agronomist, we’re happy to coordinate with them directly.
At AviAg, we strive to serve as many landholders as possible, so don’t hesitate to contact us, even if you think your job might be too small. While we typically operate with a minimum of half a day, we’d be happy to discuss your project and see how we can assist you.