Drone as a Service will be at the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show at Punchestown Event Centre, Naas, Co. Kildare on November 17-19, to showcase how drone technology is being applied on Irish farms.

Visitors to the Grandstand, G19, can learn about everyday uses such as grassland management, crop health monitoring, livestock checks and farm maintenance inspections, as well as a new aerial spraying and spreading service.

The team will be on hand throughout the show to explain how each service works, what the data looks like and where drones are proving most useful for Irish farmers and contractors.

Spraying and spreading from above

Drone as a Service is one of the first companies in Ireland approved to apply granular and liquid fertiliser, seed and pellets by drone, using a 50kg-capacity spraying and spreading drone suited to working farmland.

Flight paths are programmed for each field, and variable-rate and spot application place inputs where they are needed.

Because the drone never touches the ground, there is no compaction or wheeling damage, which makes it an option on steep banks, soft corners and fragmented land as well as on open fields.

Every application is GPS-guided and logged, creating a traceable record of what was applied, where and when.

Data from above

Beyond spreading, drones are changing how farmers gather information about their land:

Grassland management flights capture grass cover, density and growth rates, turning them into figures for biomass, sward height, and yield in kgDM per hectare to support grazing and cutting decisions and nitrates compliance.
Crop health monitoring uses multispectral and thermal imaging to pick up nitrogen deficiency, water stress, and disease before they show at ground level.
Livestock health management combines thermal imaging with artificial intelligence (AI) analytics to count animals and highlight any that are isolated or showing abnormal readings, which is useful on out-farms and during calving and lambing.
Farm maintenance inspections give a clear view of roofs, gutters, sheds, roads, tanks and drainage, with geotagged reports that help prioritise repairs.

Equine and racecourse support

The same precision is being applied on Ireland’s studs, yards, and racecourses.

Aerial nutrient application treats gallops and paddocks with no wheeling, compaction or bruising of the sward, protecting ground inspected daily by owners, trainers and vets, while drone data supports racecourse turf health monitoring, centimetre-accurate mapping, drainage management and surface inspections that flag risks to horses and riders.

Beyond agriculture

Drone as a Service also works with clients in construction, land survey, real estate, renewables, telecommunications, insurance and government across Ireland.

Every mission is flown by an IAA-certified pilot using registered drones, so the technology is available without farmers needing to own equipment or manage regulatory approvals themselves.

Find us at the show

Drone as a Service will be at the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show from November 17-19.

Visit the team at the Grandstand, G19.