52 | Huge advances in drone technology As well as spraying, OC Aerial offers spreading services for seed, fertiliser, and slug bait. Kelly Deeks Manawatu-based business OC Aerial is bringing the next generation of spraying and spreading technology to farms throughout the lower North Island, with drones now offering farmers a safe, precise, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional aerial application. Managing director Alex Owen-Cooper launched OC Aerial in 2024 after recognising the huge advances in drone technology over the past few years. “When drones first came out, they could only carry about 10 litres, which was fine for a couple of gorse bushes on a lifestyle block,” Alex says. “Now they’ve reached the point where they can compete with helicopters, and that’s when we saw the opportunity to build a business around them.” With his background in aviation, first as an RURAL SERVICES » OC Aerial avionics mechanic in the Air Force at Ohakea, then working on agricultural aircraft such as air tractors, Alex brings technical expertise and a strong safety focus to OC Aerial. He says drone spraying takes the health and safety risk out of aerial application while offering a highly efficient service. “Helicopters are faster and can carry more per load, but unless you’ve got a thousand hectares that need spraying yesterday, drones are a really good solution,” he says. “We can chip away at a job over a couple of days, get into tricky areas helicopters can’t reach, and work safely around sensitive areas like waterways and native trees.” As well as spraying, OC Aerial offers spreading services for seed, fertiliser, and slug bait, with the ability to spread up to 150kg of product per minute. The drones can also handle roof spraying for moss and lichen control, and the company is increasingly in demand for its high-resolution mapping services.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=