Local University of Arizona Cooperative Extension goes to U of A’s Drone Day

Eduardo Morales

TUCSON, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Locals from the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension traveled to Tucson to take part in “U of A’s Drone Day.”

Drone day allows participants to share knowledge and innovations of unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones.

The extension shared how this technology is being used in modern agricultural practices.

The drones can be used in farming in a variety of areas.

“Target spraying and that’s really good in the orchards and things like that. When you go right over the plant, you’re not wasting a bunch of spray around them, you’re just spraying that plant,” said local Yuma County Cooperative Extension videographer Donald Dinwiddie.

According to the local extension, experts say drone use in agriculture has increased from 500 to around 35,000 in the past five years.

The agriculture drone market helped bring in over $2 billion in 2022 and is projected to earn over $20 billion by 2030.