On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey
Tech Bytes: CNY Drone Services
Clip: Season 3 Episode 7 | 4m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
CNY Drone Services
CNY Drone Services is deploying cutting-edge drones across Upstate New York in a battle against invasive pests threatening our region. Equipped with advanced technology, watch how they're on a mission to protect our area’s important environmental and agricultural properties one flight at a time.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey is a local public television program presented by WCNY
On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey
Tech Bytes: CNY Drone Services
Clip: Season 3 Episode 7 | 4m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
CNY Drone Services is deploying cutting-edge drones across Upstate New York in a battle against invasive pests threatening our region. Equipped with advanced technology, watch how they're on a mission to protect our area’s important environmental and agricultural properties one flight at a time.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey
On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipEQUIPPED WITH HIGH-TECH, WATCH HOW THEY'RE ON A MISSION TO PROTECT OUR AREA'S IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL AND AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES ONE FLIGHT AT A TIME.
>> CNY DRONE SERVICES IS REALLY THE COULD BE SEPTEMBER RICK HAD A FEW YEARS AGO AND THE IDEA WAS TO USE MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.
OUR FIRST FORAY INTO IT WAS SUBCONTRACTING TO CROP DUSTERS FOR PLANES THAT COULDN'T GET TO CERTAIN SPACES, OR IT WAS TOO SMALL AN AREA TO MAKE IT WORTH THEIR WHILE.
THAT'S HOW WE REALLY GOT OUR FIRST BIT OF BUSINESS.
AND IT'S GROWN FROM THERE.
>> AND THIS DRONE BUSINESS IS JUST, IT AMAZES MEOW HOW ACCURATE IT IS AND HOW USEFUL IT IS.
IT WILL SPOT SPRAY THINGS.
IT WILL GET INTO AREAS THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET INTO WITHOUT DOING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO MY OWN CROP.
IT CANNIVE HOW GOOD YOUR CROP IS IN CERTAIN PLACES, CAN IDENTIFY WHERE THERE IS A WEED PROBLEM.
WHERE THERE IS NOT.
YOU MIGHT HAVE 100-ACRE FIELD THAT REALLY ONLY NEEDS TO HAVE THREE OR FOUR ACRES SPRAYED.
THE DRONE WILL KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU WILL SAVE A LOT OF MONEY ON SPRAY.
YOU WILL BE A LOT MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THE GROUND 67.
>> WE DO EVERYTHING.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVERYTHING HAS LIKE A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY OF WHEN YOU CAN DO THESE TYPE OF APPLICATIONS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE VERY EARLY SPRING WE'LL DO A LOT OF MAPPING SERVICES.
WE'LL DO A PREEMERGING HERBICIDE TREATMENTS, GOING INTO MAY, JUNE, WE START RAMPING INTO INSECTICIDES WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY FOR GYPSY MOTH TREATMENT OR SPONGY MOTH.
WE HAVE DONE SOME SPRAYING UP AT THE PORTS.
WE'VE DONE SOME AQUATIC VEGETATION CONTROL WITH WATER CHESTNUTS.
EARLY SEPTEMBER WE START GOING TO FUNK SIDE SEASON.
THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE BOOM IN INTEREST FOR THAT THIS YEAR.
FUNGICIDE.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND FARMERS WHERE YOU HAVE FAIRLY LARGE ACREAGE, WE TEND TO BE IN A PRICE RANGE.
THAT RANGE RUNS ANYWHERE FROM 17 TO $18 AN ACRE TO 22 TO $25 AN ACRE.
IT DEPENDS WHERE WE ARE DOING IT.
OUR COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MOVING THE EQUIPMENT, TRAVEL, ROOM AND BOARD FOR WHILE THEY'RE ON THE ROAD, MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE TO BUY GENERATORS AND PUMPS AND WE HAVE TO CHARGE THESE BATTERIES EVERY SO OFTEN AND WE HAVE TO FILL THE TANKS, YOU KNOW, EVERY FLIGHT AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WE ARE JUST TRYING TO GET MORE EFFICIENT SO OUR DOWNTIME BETWEEN APPLICATIONS IS REDUCED.
WE ARE CLOSE TO A BREAK EVEN POINT RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE NOT THERE YET BUT WE ARE CLOSE.
THE ONLY THING THAT LIMITS US REALLY IS THE WIND.
WE CAN DO IT AT NIGHT.
WE CAN DO IT IN THE RAIN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOIL CONDITIONS.
SO OPERATIONALLY, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING TO THE SITE AND SETTING UP AND DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
IN THIS REGIONAL AREA WE ARE THE FIRST.
WE WERE LITERALLY THE ONLY ONE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK THAT WAS APPLYING FOR THESE UTILIZING DRONES.
>> WE OPERATE ALL ACROSS NEW YORK STATE, ALL AYOS PENNSYLVANIA-- ALL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA AND EXPANDING INTO VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND MASSACHUSETTS.
THE ONLY RESTRICTION THERE IS THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE KIND OF HOLDING US BACK.
TECHNOLOGY IS SO NEW THAT THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO APPROACH IT.
THE BEST WAY TO STAY UP TO DATE ON EVERYTHING IS NEWSLETTERS FROM THE MANUFACTURERS THAT ARE THE LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRY.
I HONESTLY GET MOST OF MY TOINGS FROM FACEBOOK GROUPS.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THERE IS NO SOMEBODY HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR 30 YEARS AND THEY PASS IT ON TO THEIR GRANDKIDS TYPE INDUSTRY.
WE ARE LEARNING AND ADAPTING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>> WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR ARE KIDS THAT LIKE TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES AND FLY DRONES.
THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING RIGHT NOW, WHERE WE THINK THE FUTURE TALENT OF THIS COMPANY IS.
I THINK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE COULD HAVE SIX, EIGHT, 10 CREWS AND WE COULD BE OVER THE ENTIRE NORTHEAST.
>> I SEE A REAL FUTURE IN DRONES WITH AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING.
I THINK IT'S VERY EFFICIENT AND I THINK IT'S VERY SAFE.
I'M REALLY SOLD ON THE TECHNOLOGY THERE AND WATCHING WHAT HE CAN DO.
JUST GREAT NEW CONCEPT.
Money in Motion: the Port of Oswego
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S3 Ep7 | 3m 54s | Port of Oswego (3m 54s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: S3 Ep7 | 10m 10s | Former Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim (10m 10s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
- News and Public Affairs

Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.

- News and Public Affairs

FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.












Support for PBS provided by:
On the Money with J. Daniel Pluff & Laiza Semidey is a local public television program presented by WCNY

