Drone systems will be developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector

Drones that could revolutionize sustainable farming in Wales are to be made following successful trials at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi.

The ‘Green Eagle’ drone was able to identify weeds and on-land issues before targeting them with pesticides, saving time, money and providing a carbon-neutral alternative to existing methods.

Led by Anglesey-based M-SParc in partnership with tenants AerialWorx and Fortytwoable – who built the AI model – and BIC Innovation, the project was supported by Ambition North Wales.

“I was delighted to see the progress made in producing and adapting the Green Eagle over the relatively short period of time we had working with the partners," commented Dewi Jones, Farm Manager at Coleg Cambria Llysfasi. “It is now an advanced piece of equipment that can perform what was envisaged at the start of the project, which shows just what can be achieved when forward-thinking people from different backgrounds and disciplines work on new ideas and concepts that come together to form a new product.

“The current and future potential applications for the Green Eagle in agriculture are wide and varied and I wish the companies well in taking their achievements and ideas forward into what will undoubtedly be a world that will demand a productive and sustainable farming industry fit for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century,” Jones added.

M-SParc revealed proposals are in place to move to phase three following the success of the trials.

A spokesperson said, “This was a fantastic example of tenant collaboration and Fortytwoable and BIC Innovation are now working on a commercialization plan in light of Fortytwoable identifying a new commercial opportunity as a direct result of this project.”

“As part of our work we carried out a Life Cycle Assessment to investigate the environmental impacts and footprint associated with all stages of the project," explained Dyfed Morgan, Life Cycle Assessment Officer and Sustainability Champion at M-SParc. “The result of our assessment showed embodied carbon emitted for the drones is 131 times lower across their life cycle than a traditional tractor to carry out the same work, reinforcing the merits of this project from a carbon footprint perspective.”

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