Trends in Airborne Equipment for Agriculture and Other Areas is a collection of papers presented at a Seminar on Techno-economic Trends in Airborne Equipment for Agriculture and other Selected Areas of the National Economy (Aero-agro '78), organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and held in Warsaw, Poland, on September 18-22, 1978. Contributors examine the role of airborne equipment in agriculture and other areas from the perspectives of economic, technical and environmental concerns. Attention is paid to the value of soil surveys and land evaluation maps and of biogeographical analyses of pest outbreaks in planning aerial application operations. This book is comprised of 45 chapters and begins with a discussion on the economic aspects of airborne equipment, with emphasis on the value of bio-aeronautics in crop production and protection and of aircraft in the management of biological resources. Among the many techniques to improve economic efficiency, speed and timing are highlighted. The technical design and operation of equipment for aircraft are also considered, along with the use of helicopters as airborne cranes for a wide range of applications such as building construction and geological surveys. The results of experiments on the corrosive effects of pesticides, both in water and oil suspensions, are presented. A non-polluting insecticide particularly suited for ultra-low volume operations is also described, together with the use of light aircraft for fighting forest fires. This monograph will be a valuable resource for economists and agriculturists as well as policymakers in both areas.
