ALBANY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists will provide a full day of discussion and hands-on training for using drones in Missouri agriculture 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7, at the MU Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center in Albany.

Training organizers say the event will cover kinds of drones used in agriculture and what is required of remote pilots to use these technologies. MU Extension specialists will introduce many capabilities of small drones and large utility drones commonly used for spraying or spreading materials as well as give examples of how these technologies can be used by entrepreneurs.

A morning of classroom lecture and discussion will be followed by a catered lunch at noon. The afternoon will be devoted to field exercises for which attendees will receive training on manual flight maneuvers of small and large drones as well as autonomous mission planning and task implementation for drone imaging, spraying and spreading.

“By the end of the day, attendees should have a firm grasp on the many ways drones can be used in Missouri agriculture, the licensing and certifications required to pilot these technologies, basics of aircraft performance, weather and safety considerations, imaging and mapping tools, calibrating sprayer and spreader functions on utility drones, and manual flight controls for these aircraft,” says MU Extension agronomist Rusty Lee.

Registration fee includes trainings, materials packet and catered lunch. Preregister by Aug. 4.

For questions, contact Caleb O’Neal, MU Extension field specialist in plant science, at onealc@missouri.edu or 417-466-2148.

Photos

Caleb O’Neal
MU Extension plant science specialist Caleb O’Neal, second from left, and agronomy specialist Rusty Lee will hold a one-day class to teach about agriculture uses for drones at the MU Hundley-Whaley Extension and Education Center in Albany. Photo by Linda Geist.

Drone in flight
Drone at the MU Southwest Research Extension and Education Center in Mount Vernon. Photo by Chloe Collins.