NAAA visited Corteva, the global crop protection product manufacturer, at its headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, in late March. The meeting’s focus was to continue to work together to help facilitate the registration of pesticide products manufactured by the company for aerial use by using more realistic industry data—much of which NAAA collects about the ag aviation industry via its surveys—and more realistic aerial application variables within Tier 3 of the AgDRIFT atmospheric model on drift, which more accurately reflects the application conditions of acres treated by air today.
The discussion also included the aerial application industry’s constant embrace of new technologies and the new software development concept identified as site-specific risk assessment, which would allow environmental conditions at an application site (nearby waterbodies, endangered species, etc.), and the application equipment used (nozzle, boom width, pressure, etc.) to be inputted. The output would be either additional protections needed for the applicator to implement to protect a sensitive area, or perhaps grant leeway to the applicator, such as allowing the application to take place in wind speeds more than existing limitations.
Corteva has been a generous supporter of NAAA throughout the years and the company’s evolution, whether it be sponsoring our educational program, PAASS, educational events at the annual Ag Aviation Expo or the Expo’s closing Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet.
Later in the week, NAAA will meet with representatives at Bayer CropScience’s corporate headquarters and the crop protection data company Kynetec in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pictured at top from left to right:
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Travis Bui—Corteva Regulatory Manager
- Tami Jones-Jefferson—Corteva North America Regulatory Leader
- Morgan Bohlander—Corteva Portfolio Marketing Lead, U.S. Range & Pasture
- Reuben Baris—Corteva Regulatory Policy Leader
- Damon Reabe—NAAA Government Relations Committee Chairman, Board Member and Wisconsin aerial application operator of Dairyland Aviation
- Damon Palmer—Corteva Marketing Leader – U.S. Specialties (Non-Crop)
- Andrew Moore—NAAA CEO
- Dr. Scott Bretthauer—NAAA Director of Policy, Education and Safety
- Elisha Modisett-Kemp—Corteva State Affairs Leader
