Sindag promotes online seminar on drones in viticulture.

The National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (Sindag) is promoting a free online seminar on Tuesday (June 7th) on the topic of “Use of Drones in Agriculture”. The program will take place from 9 am to 6 pm, and registration can be done by filling out a digital form (https://www.even3.com.br/uso-de-drones-na-vitivinicultura-743903/). 

With institutional support from the Institute for Management, Planning and Development of Viticulture of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Consevitis-RS), the seminar aims to bring producers, technicians, researchers, students and companies closer to the opportunities offered by precision agriculture. 

The focus is on showing how drones can contribute to increasing the efficiency of applications, reducing waste, and expanding the sustainability of vineyard management, especially in regions with rugged terrain, where these aircraft have demonstrated great potential.

Morning program brings together global experts.

Among the speakers, one of the day's highlights will be the Portuguese agronomist Sergio Augusto Borges Neto – representing Casa Santos Lima, one of the most important wineries in Portugal. Borges Neto will open the lecture series presenting how drones have become integrated into the management of Portuguese vineyards, addressing everything from the adoption process of the technology to the challenges faced, the results obtained, and the benefits achieved with remotely piloted aerial application in a crop that demands a high level of precision.

International experience will serve as a starting point for an overview of the state of technology in Brazil. Following this, agricultural engineer Paulo Rosa, from Unitec Tecnologia de Aplicação, will conclude the morning session by addressing the fundamentals for those intending to begin operations with agricultural drones, detailing technical aspects that directly influence the efficiency and safety of applications.

In the afternoon, the program focuses on Brazilian productions.

The afternoon program will be dedicated to the particularities of Brazilian viticulture. Agricultural engineers Marcio Andrei Fusiger, from Texag Sul, and Lillian Espíndola, master's and doctoral candidates in Phytotechnics – respectively from the Federal Universities of Pelotas (UFPel) and Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) – will present specific techniques for application in grapevines. They will highlight differences compared to other crops and the necessary care to achieve greater operational efficiency.

Another highlight will be the section focused on the regulation of the activity. Ricardo Vollbrecht, legal advisor for Sindag and Ibravag, will share the panel with agricultural engineers Susan Mello Mozena and Katiussa Cipriani, from Agro Três Assessoria e Consultoria, to clarify the main legal aspects involving companies and operators of agricultural drones.

The closing session will bring together all the speakers in a roundtable discussion about the technological and regulatory challenges, as well as the future prospects for the use of drones in viticulture. Participants will also be able to submit questions and discuss the future of this activity.