MONTGOMERY CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension specialists will provide a day of discussion and hands-on training for using drones in Missouri agriculture Saturday, May 10, in Montgomery City.

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.

The program is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Merchants Building, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 700 S. Sturgeon, Montgomery City.

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.

Organizers say that by the end of the day attendees should have a firm grasp of 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.

A $175 per person registration fee covers trainings, materials packet and catered lunch. Preregistration is required by noon Friday, May 9, for an accurate meal count and to ensure adequate materials. Pregister at http://muext.us/DronesInAgMay10.

For more information, contact Rusty Lee, field specialist in agronomy, MU Extension in Montgomery County, at 573-564-3733 or leerw@missouri.edu.

Photo

https://extension.missouri.edu/sites/default/files/legacy_media/wysiwyg/News/photos/20250404-drone-1.jpg
Drone at the MU Southwest Research Extension and Education Center in Mount Vernon. Photo by Chloe Collins.