In order to reduce the labour required for agricultural work and to combat high summer temperatures, JA Zennoh Aomori (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations) is testing the use of drones to spray a shading agent on agricultural greenhouses.
The team will investigate the effects of high temperatures on the temperature inside the greenhouse and the quality of tomatoes during the growing season, and verify the cost-effectiveness of the experiment. This is the first time that a drone has been used to spray a shading agent within the JA Group in the prefecture. Spraying the shading agent, which prevents temperatures from rising inside the greenhouse, is done outdoors in the summer, which is heavy labour and a burden on farmers.
Kazuya Kawada (25), a member of the JA Aomori Tomato Division in Aomori City, and others are cooperating in the test. The test will be carried out from the 16th at five locations in Aomori City, Goshogawara City, Tsugaru City, and Shichinohe Town (two locations).
The light-shielding materials “Reddy Heat” and “Fine Shade Sky” will be used in the greenhouses where the tomatoes are grown, and the progress will be observed until around mid-September.
Source: ZEN-NOH