Rantizo, an Iowa City-based startup providing drone crop spraying equipment and services, is the first U.S. company to receive approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to use the DJI Agras T-30 drone for agricultural applications. The drone launched earlier in 2021 but required approval from the FAA because it weighs more than 55 pounds. “This new platform is more than just a larger drone,” Rantizo Special Projects Manager Beau Brown said in a release. “The DJI T-30 represents a three-generation jump in technological advancements in aerial drone sprayers, such as new avionics, obstacle avoidance and more intelligent field management.” Rantizo became the first company in Iowa to receive FAA approval for drone spraying in 2019 and was the first in the nation to receive approval for three-drone swarming in 2020. Following approval to use the T-30 drone, Rantizo plans to integrate it into its sales packages, offering the drone for sale by December.
