Agricultural drone success hinges on systems approach

In crop production, there’s a system for just about everything: planting, tillage, spraying, harvesting and more. Farmers are accustomed to not just creating systems for everything they do in the field but doing so in a way that makes those systems all mesh well together toward an ultimate goal: the production of a high-value bumper crop. The systems approach has become a mainstay in modern crop production. And now there’s an agricultural drone system to add to that mix.

As precision agriculture technology has advanced in the three decades since its inception, there’s been an increase in the adoption of systems approaches to the in-season management of a crop. Each system — whether GPS guidance, yield monitoring or precision planting or applications — has multiple moving parts and must function on its own. But more importantly, it must also function well with all other systems on which a farmer relies to produce a crop.

Technology and machinery manufacturers also recognize this generations-long trend toward more systems in agriculture. While every manufacturer has its own systems — some of which “talk to one another” better than others — the overarching goal remains the same. The systems approach is fundamental to 21 ^st century agriculture.

It was with that sort of purpose-driven mindset that Rantizo took about creating an agricultural drone system for chemical, fertilizer and seed applications in crop fields. Though its centerpiece is a DJI drone sprayer, the machine is just part of a larger system strategically designed to both accomplish what operators set out to do in a way that works together well with the other systems and digital ag platforms.

“The Rantizo drone system isn’t just a new way to apply crop inputs. It’s a way to evolve agronomic service businesses and provide a new level of service to farmers,” Rantizo CEO, Michael Ott said. “We want to work with ag retailers who know their customers best. We want to give them new tools to grow their businesses as trusted advisors.”

With that goal in mind and starting with the DJI drone itself, Ott and the team at Rantizo developed a system that will provide all the essentials. Rantizo provides all the necessary components for their application services contractors to easily crop spray. It does so in a way that is both adaptable as technology and operator proficiencies evolve, and instinctive for ag retailers accustomed to purpose-driven systems for other tasks in raising a crop.

The components of the system directly contribute to the overarching goal of productive, efficient field applications in some ways that weren’t previously possible with conventional spraying systems. Each component uniquely contributes to the solutions Rantizo’s system offers its application services contractors, especially relating to applying inputs in irregularly shaped fields or on a spot-spraying basis during the growing season.

See more on the full suite of Rantizo system products.

In addition to aligning with the systems approach to which most progressive, tech-savvy farmers, agronomic service providers and ag retailers have become accustomed, the specific components of the Rantizo agricultural drone system enable its users to accomplish tasks that were previously not possible. With Rantizo, contractors and their team of pilot and applicators can do more work with fewer people on a timelier basis, ultimately providing a high-value service to farmer customers. Other service opportunities include:

See more about the Rantizo system and get in touch to find out how to put it to work in your business.

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