Aerial Application Technology Research Unit

    The USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Research Unit is recognized nationwide for conducting innovative and environmentally sound research pertaining to making aerial applications more efficient, effective and precise.

    The USDA-ARS Aerial Application Technology Research Unit is located in College Station, Texas. It is the largest aerial application research group in the country and has access to resources that no other research group has available. The Aerial Application Technology Research Unit’s team of scientists, engineers and support personnel are devoted to developing technologies for aerial applicators that mitigate drift and result in more efficacious applications.

    About the Agricultural Research Service

    The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) serves the needs of American agriculture by providing long-term research programs that address nearly every aspect of agriculture. ARS has two programs (College Station, Texas, and Stoneville, Miss.) that service the aerial application industry. The research missions of these two groups include development and evaluation of new spray equipment and product, spray modeling, precision application, remote sensing of crop conditions and disease stress using multi-spectral cameras mounted on aircraft, product efficacy testing and decision support systems to help aerial applicators make informed decisions quickly and efficiently. Through these research projects, aerial applicators are provided with objective evaluation of numerous products as they come onto the market. Applicators also receive guidelines and best management practices that lead to more effective spray applications.