California Legislation Boosts Drone Use In Agriculture
According to the California Farm Bureau, farmers will soon face fewer obstacles in getting approved to use drones for aerial applications. This development is thanks to a bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom that will modernize the California Department of Pesticide’s certification process.
Growers of various commodities have touted the technology’s ability to improve worker safety, lower labor costs and boost crop yields. However, farmers say an outdated regulatory process has made it difficult for them and their employees to get licensed to use drones to spray pesticides and biological treatments.
Latest Details For 2023 MSU Row Crop Short Course
The annual 2023 Row Crop Short Course will be held at the Cotton Mill Conference Center in Starkville near the campus of Mississippi State University on Dec. 4–6, 2023.
Lunch will be provided each day. Additionally, a social mixer and dinner will be held Monday evening at the Cotton Mill Conference Center. A social event and steak/shrimp dinner will be held at 6 p.m. at the Cotton Mill Conference Center on Tuesday.
All meals are provided free of charge if you preregister prior to Nov. 21. Registration after Nov. 21, including at the door, is $40 which includes all meals. For more information, contact Mary Margaret Earp at 662-325-2311 or me800@msstate.edu.
MSU has blocks of rooms available at Courtyard by Marriott, Comfort Suites and Hampton Inn. To register and get more hotel information, go to https://bitly.ws/X62p.
Largest French Fashion Brand Joins The Trust Protocol
The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol) is pleased to announce the membership of Kiabi. Founded in 1978 in Northern France and with 579 shops in 25 countries, Kiabi is committed to sustainable sourcing and driving positive social and environmental change in fashion retail.
Kiabi’s “2030 Vision” aims to integrate positive fashion and sustainability with 72% of its products already designed using sustainable fibers and a goal to see this figure reach 100% by 2025, thus reducing energy and water usage while limiting pollution and habitat degradation in the supply chain.
Cotton already represents 70% of the raw material used in Kiabi’s products. By utilizing the program’s proprietary Protocol Consumption Management Solution to track U.S. Cotton and/or Protocol Cotton, they will be provided full supply chain transparency.
Kiabi will also have the ability to use Protocol Consumption Units for internal calculations of Scope 3 emissions or making proportionate environmental claims on products.
The Trust Protocol is the only sustainable cotton system that provides quantifiable, verifiable goals and measurement and drives continuous improvement in six key sustainability metrics — land use, soil carbon, water management, soil loss, greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency. It is also the first to offer article-level supply chain transparency to members.
Dr. Gary Adams, President of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, said, “We’re pleased to welcome Kiabi to the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and supporting their commitment to sustainable cotton sourcing. We look forward to providing them with measurable, verifiable data and outcomes as they pursue their environmental and social goals.”
For more information, please visit TrustUSCotton.org.
Arkansas Offers Imaging And Drone Education In November
Imagery provided by satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles — commonly known as drones — is already changing the way producers farm their crops. As this technology becomes more prevalent, the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is adapting to ensure that it will be able to provide growers, consultants and other industry professionals with modern tools for success.
Jason Davis, who joined the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture as an Extension pesticide application specialist in 2014, has been studying remote sensing technologies since 2019 when he acquired a UAV pilot license.
That same year, the Arkansas Plant Board granted the Division of Agriculture three-year access to a drone, and Davis began incorporating it in a drift analysis project.
Davis, along with Aurelie Poncet, assistant professor of precision agriculture and remote sensing for the Division of Agriculture, will present two in-service training seminars for Extension agents in November.
“Through an Extension scope, I’m trying to bridge the gap and make some of these technologies more accessible and practical to agents, consultants and producers alike,” Davis said.
Agents interested in attending the upcoming training should contact Davis at jdavis@uada.edu.