Application of Vantacor® Insecticide with an Agri-Drone

In the world of agricultural production, where every day can bring new challenges, innovative technologies are becoming indispensable tools. This time, we visited the fields of the Shevchenko Agricultural Company in Sumy region, where Mykola Cherniak, CEO of AGRONIX, and Oleksandr Zakovorotnyi, manager at FMC Ukraine in Sumy region, are conducting research on the effectiveness of applying Vantacor® insecticide with drones to control lepidopteran pests.

The situation in Sumy region has become more challenging due to the growing population of dangerous pests such as the European corn borer and the cotton bollworm. That is why the specialists decided to set up a trial involving the application of Vantacor® insecticide with drones. Vantacor® is a product with a modern formulation based on the Rynaxypyr® molecule, which preserves all the properties of Coragen® insecticide, including minimal impact on mammals and low ecotoxicological impact, excellent safety for pollinating insects and beneficial entomofauna, as well as improved properties for preparing working solutions, application, and rainfastness at low working solution rates.

“Your corn can suffer serious losses without proper protection. If one farmer fails to take action, it can affect everyone,” explains Mykola. The drone used for spraying offers significant advantages, as it can easily cover even hard-to-reach areas without damaging the plants or trampling them.

Today’s application is scheduled for nighttime. Spraying at night is usually risky due to potential obstacles, but in this case, we are confident that the area is safe. “On some fields, pests appear in such numbers that they can be compared to herds of horses. This creates a serious threat to the crop,” comments Mykola Cherniak. Although this solution is not typical, it may prove necessary in situations where traditional spraying methods are not suitable.

Thanks to drones, we can deliver the product directly to the lower parts of the plant, where pests most often accumulate. This gives us an additional advantage, as the spraying covers the entire plant, unlike traditional methods. Among the key advantages of using drones is application accuracy, which helps avoid plant damage and is important for maintaining planting density.

“Our choice was Vantacor because this product has proven itself on the market as a reliable insecticide against lepidopteran pests,” says Oleksandr. “Thanks to its new formulation with sticking agents, it ensures the pH stability of the solution for up to 72 hours.” Importantly, the product contains 600 g of active ingredient per liter, while the application rate has been reduced to 30–50 ml per hectare. This makes it ideal for ultra-low-volume drone application. The product, which demonstrates high efficiency in protecting corn yields, will be applied to an area of 5 hectares using drones.

“Technology does not stand still, and we must adapt to new conditions. That is why we estimate that we will be able to preserve more than one ton of yield per hectare. Drones allow the product to be delivered precisely to the lower parts of the plant, where most pests are found,” adds Oleksandr. The application carried out by Oleksandr and Mykola is just one element of a modern approach to crop protection. They are confident that using innovative solutions such as Vantacor, combined with DJI drones, can transform agricultural production in Ukraine.

“Without implementing innovations, it is impossible to achieve stable and high yields,” notes Mykola. This case demonstrates how new solutions can improve the efficiency of agricultural production. Introducing innovations in crop protection allows farmers to preserve their yields and improve performance, which is especially relevant in the face of climate change. Through their work in the fields of Sumy region, Oleksandr and Mykola prove that modern technologies are not just tools, but a key to success in agribusiness.