Use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, is becoming more widespread in horticulture, with several firms located in Kentucky offering commercial services like crop spraying and monitoring. In event surveys, growers have marked new technologies as something they would like more information about. A barrier identified by UAV business owners is difficulty in getting continuing education credits (CEUs) to maintain licensure. Businesses also expressed interest in connecting with and educating specialty crop growers on UAV technologies and services.

An Ag Drone Training Day was held on Tuesday, July 9 at the KSU Research Farm in Frankfort (Franklin Co), KY, organized by Horticulture Extension Specialist Cindy Finneseth and Dani Zwischenberger (Kentucky Horticulture Council), with assistance from Jeremy Sandifer, Kentucky State University Extension Specialist. The event was well attended by 43 participants and 5 presenters. The program consisted of a brief introduction by Dani Zwischenberger (KHC), followed by a presentation by Dr. Josh Jackson (University of Kentucky). Rhyan Syester (Veteran Drone Services) and VDS intern Liam gave a background of their experience as commercial drone operators and facilitated a demonstration on how to map a course and fly a drone (the T40) along that course. Following the VDS demo, Dr. Ric Bessin (University of Kentucky), Ron Shipley (Federal Aviation Administration) and Luke Petty (FlightLine Assurance) gave presentations on pesticides, regulations, and insurance coverage, respectively. The event proved to be an excellent networking opportunity for members of the industry as well as a great place for the specialists on site to relay information on flying regulations, pesticide certifications, and the economics of drone sprayers. 

Feedback from the participants was positive, with 100% reporting that they learned new information. Engagement was exceptional during the flight demonstration. Several growers were specifically interested in the option of using drones for spraying in rough areas that could pose safety issues on tractors as well as being able to spray when conditions (i.e. wet soil) restrict the timely use of field equipment. Concerns were about cost and pest control if coverage was limited. Twelve participants were able to get CEU credits for participating in the training and expressed interest in future events.