Dropcopter
Dropcopter and its pollen-spreading UAVs pollinate an apple orchard by drone.
The ongoing decline in the bee population is a worrying trend for all farmers who depend on the tiny workers to pollinate their plants… but now, a company in New York is replacing bees with drones.
The Beak and Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette became the first apple orchard to pollinate its trees using drones from Dropcopter.
The California-based startup used a hexacopter drone in late May to spray pollen on five of the orchard’s 300 acres, essentially replacing real bees with large, buzzing, robot bees.
The company’s co-founder Adam Fine says Dropcopter has also used drones previously to pollinate almond and cherry orchards. In early 2015, Fine says, a test of their prototype drone increased crop yield by an impressive 10 per cent.
Fine adds that follow up studies are being done at all three orchards to see whether the portion of orchards pollinated with drones produces a better yield than the rest of the orchard.
"We know that agriculture is one of the most significant points of entry for the commercial use of drones, and it holds the most opportunity to impact the industry and economy," Fine told local news outlet syracuse.com.
You can find out more, and see videos of the Dropcopter in action, at dropcopter.com