Whether you're looking for a quicker and more efficient way to spread liquid or solid fertiliser or you need an effective solution to pest and disease control, aerial agricultural application offers a way forward. Border Air Services have been supplying a range of services to farmers across South Western Victoria for 30 years.
Our experienced and trustworthy team can handle all kinds of aerial spraying, spreading and baiting. Whether it's fertiliser, insecticide or herbicide, we have all the tools and expertise necessary to complete the application quickly, efficiently and safely.
Efficient aerial baiting, spreading, spraying in South West Victoria
Useful links
We take a great deal of pride in delivering a top quality service with a fast turnaround time. We're available by appointment throughout the year. For your information, we have gathered some useful links that will help you to understand which aerial application would be best suited to your needs.
Calciprill by OMYA
Geoff McNair from OMYA recently visited us with a new product called Calciprill. A granulated lime which can be spread by Air on steep pasture that has never been treated with lime. It will also give a rapid pH response to utilise all of your pasture. Plus no loss of product through dust drift!
Why use aerial agriculture?
Here are some of the facts why aerial ag is so much better than other methods of application.
Is it Accountable?
- Each spraying or topdressing job is meticulously planned to manage the risks.
- Every operator keeps comprehensive records of each application.
- Every operator and pilot
is heavily regulated. - The industry uses
a AAAA standard spray order form orcustomised version thereof to ensure consistent information is provided from farmers to aid planning, safety and record keeping.
What about the environment?
- Licenced by the regulators, EPA NSW, Dept. Primary Industries Victoria and the Civil
- Aviation Safety Authority for both chemical application, flying and maintenance.
-
Law we can only use only licenced and approved chemicals. - Very detailed planning for each job that protects environmentally sensitive areas.
- Use of aerial
ag ensures that applications are made by highly trained professionals, rather than ground operators who may not be licenced or trained. - The use of aerial
ag reduces the number of people involved in the application of chemicals and thereby reduces the exposure of workers to the chemicals used.
How does it benefit me?
- Air ag is unaffected by wet ground. Ground rigs are dependent on dry ground.
- Air ag is unaffected by
crop canopy closure. Ground rig use after crop canopy closure is likely to lead to damage of the crop. - Great speed to cover large areas - ground rigs would take days or even weeks to cover what it takes air ag hours.
- Reduced exposure to weather variations - able to take greater advantage of short weather windows - less likely than ground rigs to be spraying in poor conditions.
- Improved efficacy- aircraft utilise disturbance of the crop from wake turbulence to ensure good penetration of chemicals into the crop and better coverage.
- No disease transfer as the aircraft does not touch the crop.
-
No soil compaction. - No trampling of the crop like tractors, spray rigs or quads.
- No costs to irrigators of removing channels/banks/
rotobucks as there is for ground rigs. - Bring their own fuel - many ground rigs will fill-up from farmer's tanks.
How do I know I will get a good job?
- GPS marking systems are used to give sub-meter accuracy.
- Pilots apply material guided by a 'light bar' that ensures they remain exactly on track.
- Nozzle calculators available on the internet allow pilots to predict the performance of different nozzles under different conditions.
- Software now available to assist pilots in predicting drift profile.
- Liquid flow controllers ensure acurate flow rates regardless of wind speed.