01/05/2026
Happy New Year everyone! It is 2026 and while we still have some time before fields are ready for us again, we wanted to share one of the projects from last year we participated in and the valuable insight we gathered.
The drone industry is a rapidly growing industry with many opportunities, especially the spray drone industry. With ever-changing legislation, the still-new nature of the technology, inconsistent applications, and bold claims by drone pilots and manufacturers alike, it's clear that one of the biggest needs right now is DATA and RESEARCH to determine true efficacy and efficiency of aerial applications made by drones. We as an agri-drone service company do not want to push a product we don't believe in, or a product that does not justify the cost of the application for the farmer; that is not a sustainable relationship. There are countless variables and unknowns even for us still and it is our mission to find those answers to deliver the best applications we can.
Rogue Air LLC tries to check on as many applications after completion as we are able to determine efficacy or any problem areas. This may be through checking in with farmers, talking to scouts, or physically putting eyes on the field ourselves. The flight parameters we were initially given when we started this venture, turned out poor results, and many XAG pilots and dealerships across the country will say that maximum speed (31 mph for us) is the ideal speed in an area with no obstacles. We were able to hone in our other parameters for a great pattern test, but there were still certain applications where even in perfect conditions, we were not 100% satisfied with the results.
In 2025, Rogue Air LLC had the opportunity to work with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Research and Extension Service on research trials; fungicide trials in particular. The UADA sees the same need for data and is committed to providing those answers to producers and applicators alike. One of those trials was on cotton, and the basis for this experiment was testing efficacy at various speeds against a ground rig.
What we found was that maximum speed was NOT always the best option, particularly in applications when canopy pe*******on is vital (as opposed to strongly systemic herbicides where coverage is the key). The following is the data that was compiled by UADA.
We are incredibly thankful for opportunities like these to be the best operators we can be and further the reliability of the drone industry and a special thanks to Dr. Terry Spurlock and Dr. Jason Davis for their dedication to finding answers.
