Entrepreneurship and innovation take off in Southland
Rapid advances in drone technology have encouraged one young Southlander to jump in and start his own business applying fertiliser and crop protection for local farmers.
Opportunity knocks ± Nick Munro with his XAG P100 Pro.
Nick Munro, 21, began the lengthy process of obtaining appropriate certification at the end of 2023, got his restricted ag rating on Christmas Eve 2024 and flew his first commercial job on Boxing Day.
One of his most recent jobs was with the Southern Dairy Hub research farm, which approached him to fly slug bait onto newly sown swedes, and he says interest in this particular application is growing in the region.
“It’s a good job for the drone. With an application rate of 4 kg a ha, you can cover a lot of ground very quickly, and get a real even spread.
“The area to be sprayed was only around 20 ha, which would have been a small job for a helicopter, and you wouldn’t want to drive a truck over freshly-seeded ground, so the drone suits that situation perfectly.”
Munro’s business, Southland Drone Services, all started with a conversation about gorse control on the family sheep and beef farm in Central Southland.
“I had finished up at Lincoln, and was working at home on the farm. Dad wanted to get some gorse sprayed; we’re about 80 per cent rolling hill country, so he’d looked into how much it would cost to get a chopper in for that, and that led to the topic of using a drone instead…”
After researching the concept, Munro approached agricultural drone specialists Airborne Solutions, founded in 2020 by two former helicopter spray contractors, and became the proud owner of an XAG P100 Pro.
Tipping the scales at 103 kg fully loaded, with a 50 kg payload, it’s designed for precise application of fertiliser, seed and crop protection products, and spans close to 3 metres when unfolded for flight.
This model can cover up to 15 ha per hour, with a swathe of up to 9 metres for spraying and 14 metres for fertiliser, and has already been used across 10,000 ha in New Zealand, Airborne Solutions says.
While agricultural drones are not yet commonly used in Southland, word is spreading, Munro says.
“Many people have seen or heard of drone application, and they want to give it a go. I’ve done quite a lot of slug bait so far, as well as fertiliser going onto newly-sown crops.”
He had to complete both 101 and 102 Pilot Certification training through the Civil Aviation Authority to be able to legally offer commercial drone services, and has also had to obtain appropriate chemical and ag ratings.
“It’s quite a long process – there’s a lot of paperwork.”
He wouldn’t describe himself as a mad enthusiast for technology, but says he’s always wanted to be in business for himself, and this was a great opportunity to make that happen, especially since the industry is still in its infancy.
“I still work on the farm when the weather is no good for flying. Dad lets me get away and get into it, and Mum helps me with the book-keeping; they’ve both been very supportive.”
The Southern Dairy Hub research farm team decided to try the technology this season having seen similar machines at last year’s Thriving Southland Southern Agritech and Innovation Day.
“It’s relatively low cost; there is no ground compaction or damage, and you can use it in wet ground conditions. It’s also convenient for the smaller as well as larger jobs.
“It has really good spray quality thanks to the atomisers that can change micron sizes depending on the conditions and needs, and placement is super accurate.”
Thriving Southland will again be holding a Southern Agritech and Innovation Day this year, at the Southern Field Days site at Waimumu on May 1.
Organisers say there will be something for everyone, including keynote speakers sharing latest insights from the forefront of agritech; the popular farmer panel discussion and interactive workshops throughout the day.
