In some vineyards, early in the morning, you may catch sight of small flying objects emitting a faint buzzing sound. As you get closer, the buzzing grows louder, but unlike UFOs, the object is identified. It is a drone, a flying machine that resembles a spider, with long arms used here to spray phytosanitary products on the vines.
Originally developed for military use, the drone is entering the winegrowing world at a time when pressure to ban treating vineyards by helicopter is growing ever stronger. (Switzerland is the only European country where this type of treatment is permitted.) While the drone is more environmentally friendly, it is still subject to size constraints : limited battery life and a small product tank capacity—only around fifteen litres. However, the device can fly at very low altitude and therefore promises greater precision in application and a significant reduction in phytosanitary drift.
In addition, its small size (around 40 kg with a 2.40 m wingspan) also proves to be a strong argument, as the device can reach steep and rugged plots where only the sprayer—the good old method—can treat the vines effectively.
Another argument in its favour is the low noise level of its engine. In a world that has become increasingly averse to noise, the engine’s gentle hum, unlike that of the helicopter and the sprayer, earns it a few extra points.
As there is little room for praising slowness when it comes to ensuring, year after year, flawless production in both quantity and quality, the use of drones remains, for the time being, a solution whose effectiveness is still modest. However, technological advances are significant, and engineers are working on them relentlessly, as it would be a great shame to have to forgo this treatment method solely because of its limited capacity.
