Commercial spraying with drone technology begins in Salinas Valley

Guardian Agriculture has deployed four of its aviation-grade Vertical Take-Off and Landing, or eVTOL, aircraft to spray crops in California's Salinas Valley. The company says its the first manufacturer to use eVOTL technology in large-scale commercial agriculture production.

Guardian Agriculture said its programable, repeatable and easy-to-use systems help growers spray crops more efficiently. A single Guardian eVTOL system can cover up to 60 acres per hour, can carry a 200-pound payload and a combined tank fill and supercharge time of less than one minute, according to a news release.

The company said the Federal Aviation Administration authorized its aircraft for nationwide use in March.

"While several companies are developing eVTOL technologies, we are now the only one that has both secured FAA approval to operate commercially nationwide, and that's actually started flying missions on behalf of paying customers," Adam Bercu, founder and CEO of Guardian Agriculture, said in the release.