New Benchmark Set for Bean Harvest Protection

UK First Drone Application of Pod‑Stik

A UK-first trial has demonstrated the potential of autonomous drones to apply Pod-Stik in field beans, achieving levels of canopy penetration and pod coverage that challenge what’s possible with conventional spraying equipment.

July 16, 2025, Sarah Ferrie

The Trial: Drone vs. Bean Shatter

The trial, conducted in Cambridgeshire in July 2025, marks a significant step forward in the practical use of aerial technology for harvest protection in pulses.

Hosted at Park Hill Farm near Horseheath, the trial was a collaboration between De Sangosse and drone application specialists https://autospraysystems.com/AutoSpray Systems. The aim: to apply De Sangosse’s polymer-based pod sealant, Pod-Stik, to a 10-hectare commercial crop of Tundra winter beans using an autonomous XAG P100 Pro spray drone.

The challenge was to protect yield in a notoriously brittle crop. Pod-Stik forms a flexible film over the pod seam (suture), helping prevent mechanical shatter from wind, weather and combine impact. This is particularly relevant in beans, where seed loss at harvest can reach up to 50% in extreme cases — a figure often underestimated.

Reaching the Unreachable: Deep Canopy Coverage

Four application techniques were tested, varying droplet size, water volume and drone speed. All treatments delivered Pod-Stik at 1 L/ha, with the most effective coverage achieved using 230-micron droplets in 100 L/ha of water — significantly lower than the 150 L/ha or more typically required to reach the lower canopy with a boom sprayer.

What set the drone apart was not just canopy penetration, but coverage on the underside of lower pods — a key shatter-risk area that is extremely difficult to hit with a conventional sprayer.

“We saw spray droplets deposited underneath pods, even deep in the canopy,” says Rob Suckling, Commercial Technical Manager at De Sangosse. “That’s a level of placement that boom sprayers simply can’t achieve, because they lack the downward airflow generated by the drone rotors.”

This airflow — often misunderstood as a drift risk — proved to be one of the biggest benefits. The rotor-induced downwash created a vortex that forced droplets into the crop, increasing deposition where it matters most.

“There’s a widespread assumption that drones increase drift. But in this case, the controlled downward airflow is exactly what enables precise, targeted delivery,” says Rob.

We saw spray droplets deposited underneath pods, even deep in the canopy. That’s a level of placement that boom sprayers simply can’t achieve, because they lack the downward airflow generated by the drone rotors.
– Rob Suckling, Commercial Technical Manager at De Sangosse

Grower View: "We Want to Keep Every Bean"

Farm Manager Richard Cobbald, who oversees 3,400 hectares across Bartlow Estate, Streetly Hall Farms and West Wratting Park Estate, hosted the trial and was impressed with the results.

“This is the best crop of beans we’ve grown in over a decade,” he says. “We’ve got pods set right down to six inches above the ground. With a crop like that, and prices where they are, we want to keep every kilo we can.”

“You could see droplets on the back of the pods — that’s unheard of with a boom sprayer. The drone gives a swirling effect that gets into the shaded areas. That coverage could make all the difference.”

Richard also sees strong potential for drone use beyond pod sealants, particularly for slug pellet application in wet autumns where ground access is restricted.

Scalable, Commercial, and Available Now

While the trial focused on a low-risk product, both De Sangosse and https://autospraysystems.com/AutoSpray Systems stress that this is not just an experiment — drone application of Pod-Stik is commercially available to farmers now.

“This is the start of something bigger,” says Robert Pearson, CEO of https://autospraysystems.com/AutoSpray Systems. “Our goal is safe, scalable drone spraying for UK farms — and this trial proves it’s both technically viable and agronomically valuable.”

With further work ongoing, drone technology could soon become a standard part of integrated crop protection strategies — offering flexibility, precision, and a way to maintain application timing even in difficult field conditions.

Separating Fact From Fiction.

THE RUMOUR: "Drones increase drift"

THE TRUTH: Precise, targeted delivery of the spray droplet can only be achieved by the rotor blade's controlled downward airflow

Key Takeaways:

Up to 50% harvest loss in beans can result from pod shatter
Drone-applied Pod-Stik reduces that risk with improved canopy penetration
Underside pod coverage achieved at 100 L/ha – not possible with boom sprayers
Rotor airflow improves droplet placement, contrary to drift concerns
The technology is commercially available now and suitable for real-world use