LaFayette, N.Y. -- The Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette has become the first apple orchard in the world to pollinate its trees using a drone, according to the start-up company that developed the technology.

Dropcopter, a start-up company participating in GENIUS NY business accelerator program at the Syracuse Technology Garden, used a hexacopter drone to spray pollen on about five of Beak & Skiff's 300 acres of apple trees.

Video above shows the Beak & Skiff apple orchard being pollinated by a drone. (Video courtesy of Dropcopter.)

The spraying was done two weeks ago at the orchard off Lords Hill Road as part of a test of whether using drones to pollinate an apple orchard will increase yields.

Adam Fine, co-founder of Dropcopter, said the company previously used drones to pollinate almond and cherry orchards. This was the first time a drone was used to pollinate an apple orchard, he said.

The technology could become very useful for orchard owners because of the decline in the bee population in the past 25 years. With fewer bees around, it becomes more difficult to pollinate orchards during the short period in the spring when pollination can happen.

"We know that agriculture is one of the most significant points of entry for the commercial use of drones, and it holds the most opportunity to impact the industry and economy," Fine said.

Peter Fleckenstein, a partner and director of fresh fruit operations at Beak & Skiff, said the technology could be especially useful during cold spring days, when bees are not active. If those cold days occur during the critical pollination period, the orchard could have a bad growing season, he said.

Fine said a study will be done to determine whether the portion of the orchard that was pollinated by the drone produced a better yield of apples than it otherwise would have.

The small drone flew in a back-and-forth pattern over the orchard about eight feet above the trees, dropping pollen from a device attached to the bottom of the drone.

Fine said his company is working with another firm at Syracuse Technology Garden to write software that will allow drones to plot their own routes around an orchard. This would almost fully automate the process for orchard owners, he said.

Dropcopter, which was founded in California in 2013, was recently awarded $250,000 in round two of the year-long GENIUS NY program.

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