Corteva Agriscience Holds Inaugural UAV Training with DJI Agriculture
Something went wrong. Please try again later...
Shanghai, China, Sept. 4, 2019 – From August 24 to 29, Corteva Agriscience (NYSE: CTVA) and DJI Agriculture jointly held the inaugural “Wind Harnesser” crop protection unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) training camp in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province. After five days of systematic training and practical exercises, 80 UAV operators were officially granted operation certificates and set to help rice growers in East China to better benefit from the latest developments in aerial applications.
As the largest current UAV training event in China, the camp also saw Corteva issue UAV application standards and specific aerial packages for its herbicide Rezuvant®.
“By holding this training camp at our Jiangsu Experimental Station with DJI Agriculture, we are aiming to cultivate the talents needed for intelligent agricultural applications in China, and to contribute to the upgrading of crop protection, as well as the overall industry,” said Alec Zheng, Director of Marketing & Strategic Planning for Corteva Agriscience in China.
“Through cooperation with leading enterprises in the field of aerial applications, we will further promote coordinated development among operators, UAVs and pesticides, coupled with the sharing of advanced agronomic knowledge via training sessions. We are committed to creating the most complete set of aerial application agricultural service systems possible with the clear purpose of increasing production and income.”
As an important facet of precision agriculture, crop protection UAVs hold clear advantages in efficiency, precision and increased environmental protection. Their development and application are expected to strongly support achieving a net zero growth in pesticide usage in China by 2020, effectively promoting the development of intelligent agriculture in China.
Data shows that there are nearly 400 related enterprises in the whole UAV crop protection value chain in China, and the number of crop protection UAVs in use stands at over 30,000. In 2018, UAV areas of operation covered roughly 267 million Mu. UAVs could see the use of pesticides reduced by more than 20 percent, the amount of water saved hit more than 90 percent, and the utilization rate of pesticides increased by more than 30 percent.1
People-oriented Coordinated Development
Due to the accelerated integration of UAV innovation and agronomic technology, the demand for aerial applications in China is growing rapidly. Crop protection UAVs, as a form of technology, integrate the pillars of “people”, “equipment” and “agent”, but only through coordinated and comprehensive development can they realize healthy and sustainable growth.
With an increased urgency to cultivate skilled and professional UAV operators, the training camp aims to impart comprehensive qualities, demonstrating the advantages of crop protection UAVs on the field, especially for rice growers in East China, helping them further benefit from the latest trend of digital agriculture development.
The five-day training program consists of three parts: theoretical study, operational practice and performance evaluation. Eighty operators from the business front line participated in the online and offline courses which covered UAV operation, component identification, route planning and flight knowledge.
Meanwhile, the participants further mastered their UAV skills through practical field operation practice. Operators that passed the examinations obtained training certificates issued by Corteva and DJI Agriculture, as an authoritative recognition for their UAV skills.
Customized Solutions and Standardized Development
In addition to people and equipment, the development of crop protection UAVs requires the support of specific agents and specifications. Compared with traditional pesticide spraying, UAVs have requirements for concentration, dispersion and adhesiveness and meeting these requirements is the key to their successful operation.
To facilitate this, Corteva launched a new standard and a special UAV package for its herbicide Rezuvant®. during the camp. Rezuvant® has a broad weed control spectrum, stable effect and no cross-resistance, deepening promotion of its scientific, rational and efficient use.
Early last year, Corteva cooperated with DJI Agriculture to introduce the UAV application standard of its fungicide products, combing DJI’s flight control operation and Corteva’s crop protection expertise. In order to further standardize China’s aerial application, Corteva has also led a number of leading enterprises this year -- in collaboration with the China Crop Protection Industry Association (CCPIA) -- to develop a series of group standards for crop protection UAVs, fully demonstrating its long-term commitment to integrating agronomy and digital technology for China's green agriculture.
About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva Agriscience is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry - including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva Agriscience became an independent public company on June 1, 2019, and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.
Follow Corteva Agriscience on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
1 Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, The Development of Crop Protection UAVs for Agriculture