Switzerland has become the first country in Europe to allow the use of drones to spray plants and crops.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/dos
The authorisation was requested by the Agroscope instituteExternal link – a government agricultural research body – and granted by the Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA) on Thursday.
Agroscope argued that drones are a useful alternative to noisy and inaccurate helicopters when it comes to the spraying of phytosanitary products. Drones, they say, can fly lower and with more precision, thus avoiding wastage or misdirected spray.
Tests were conducted to establish procedures whereby airspace security, precision methods for spraying, and environmental norms were respected, Agroscope said.
The rules laid out by FOCA say that drones will only be authorised if shown to be able to follow an automatic flight trajectory over a certain distance with maximum variations of 50 cm.
Such drones will also undergo tests every three years to determine they meet OFAC standards.
Drone nation
Over 100,000 drones are estimated to have been bought by amateurs in Switzerland in recent years. Regulations have remained largely liberal, and FOCA’s website says that drones weighing less than 30 kilograms may still be operated without a permitExternal link, under certain conditions.
However, authorities are mulling a system that would require all drones over 250g to be registered, which may enter into force next year.
More
More
Welcome to the Drone Valley
This content was published on
Switzerland’s “Drone Valley” is home to 80 startups in the field. What are the factors driving their success? And how can we avoid chaos in the skies?
Switzerland will deliver rubble removal equipment to Ukraine
This content was published on
Thirty rubble removal machines and thirty fire-fighting pumps: this is the equipment that Switzerland will be delivering to the Ukraine in the next few days. The total value of these goods is 5.6 million Swiss francs.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss Post refines safety processes after drone crash
This content was published on
An interim report into the most recent Swiss Post drone crash has recommended safety improvements. Swiss Post has already reacted.
How Switzerland and the US are preparing for a drone future
This content was published on
Francesco Bortoluzzi of the swissnex network explains how the US and Switzerland have been collaborating on drone regulation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.