A drone large enough to carry tanks of fertilisers and pesticides has won rare approval from federal authorities to spray crops in the United States, officials said on Tuesday.
The drone, called the RMAX, is a remotely piloted helicopter that weighs 94 kilograms, said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft.
Smaller drones weighing a few pounds had already been approved for limited use to take pictures that help farmers identify unhealthy crops. The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, Mr. Markofski said.
The drone already has been used elsewhere, including by rice farmers in Japan. The FAA approved it for the U.S. on Friday.
The drone is best suited for precision spraying on California’s rolling vineyards and places that are hard to reach from the ground or with larger, piloted planes, said Ken Giles, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of California, Davis.
