Aerial applicators are gearing up for another busy season.

Charlie Muller of Dale Air in Morris, Manitoba says things should really start picking up in another month or so, when it comes time to apply fungicides.

He talks about the advantage of using a plane over a ground sprayer.

Charlie Muller

“I think in a lot of crops what we're seeing with an airplane is that we can get much better coverage throughout the plant, get deep down into the foliage,” said Muller. “The planes create such a turbulence behind them, that cloud of mist gets right through the crop and penetrates and hits the entire stem, especially if you're going after sclerotinia in soybeans and canola."

He adds planes are also beneficial when it comes to reducing traffic in fields, especially during wet conditions.

Muller notes another reason that farmers hire an aerial applicator is to allow them some extra time during the busy summer months to spend with family and friends.