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Happy Memorial Day: In remembrance of our country’s patriots who gave the ultimate sacrifice

Pesticides Advance Sustainable Agriculture: Insights from University of Arkansas Life Cycle Assessment Study
In a first-of-its-kind effort to assess the environmental footprint of pesticide use, CropLife America (CLA) commissioned the University of Arkansas to examine crop productivity with and without pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides) for three crops. The study was led by researchers Dr. Marty Matlock and Dr. Greg Thoma to conduct an independent three-year cradle-to-farmgate Life Cycle Assessment that comprehensively evaluates the environmental benefits and impacts of pesticide application in the cultivation of corn, cotton, and soybeans in the U.S. The completed assessment successfully underwent an independent third-party ISO review.

The assessment’s key results showed:

  • Without pesticides, the yields of corn, cotton, and soybeans declined up to 70 percent, underscoring the indispensable role of pesticides in agriculture.
  • Cultivating corn, cotton, and soybeans without pesticides resulted in upwards of three times more land, water, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Pesticides enhance productivity and significantly reduce pressure on our water, land, and energy resources per bushel of corn and soybeans and per pound of cotton produced.

“This three-year, independent assessment demonstrates that pesticides play a critical role in increasing crop yields while decreasing consumption of natural resources. We are pleased to have the data to support the work we do as we advance our commitment to sustainability,” said Alexandra Dunn, CropLife America, president and CEO. “In a world grappling with food security and climate change, the researchers’ findings affirm the significant role pesticides play in helping to feed, fuel, and clothe our world’s growing population in a sustainable manner. This is good news for today and the future.”

Read the study’s final report here.
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Air Tractor’s SOAR Fund Provides Higher Education Support for Children of Fallen Pilots

For two decades Air Tractor’s Student Outreach and Assistance Resource (SOAR) program has provided tuition assistance to college students who lost a parent in an aerial application accident involving an Air Tractor aircraft.

“We established this program in 2005 to support families of pilots lost while doing their part to provide safe and abundant food crops,” explains Kristin Edwards, Air Tractor vice president of sales. “With the support of Air Tractor dealers, we have been able to assist 16 students from the U.S., Australia, Spain, and South Africa, awarding more than $119,000.”

The Air Tractor SOAR Fund provides $1,000 – $2,000 per year toward tuition for qualifying students attending accredited universities, junior colleges, or post-secondary vocational-technical schools in the United States and for students studying outside the U.S.

Air Tractor, Inc. and dealers created the SOAR Fund to help college-bound students reach their higher education goals, which may not otherwise be possible without tuition assistance. The fund is funded through the profit from sales of Air Tractor label G-246AT aviation replacement batteries. For more information, click here.
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NAAA Award Nominations due by August 5

Do you have a rising pilot within your ranks? Do you admire certain NAAA members’ outstanding service to the industry or their community? The NAAA awards nomination deadline is August 5. The aerial application industry is filled with exceptional people who go above and beyond the call of duty, often with little fanfare. Make someone’s day or year by nominating them for a 2024 NAAA Award.

NAAA’s online submission form is easy and quick to use; nominate someone in just a few clicks here.

Who will be among this year’s awardees? There are nine NAAA Award categories and one NAAREF Award. Nominations are due Aug. 5.

NAAA Award Categories
Agrinaut Award: Honors an agricultural aircraft operator, operating organization, or allied member company that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of ag aircraft operations. The achievement cited shall have contributed to the “state-of-the-art” for the benefit of the agricultural aircraft industry as a whole.

Allied Industry Individual Award: Recognizes an NAAA member or staff and/or an allied industry individual who has significantly contributed their efforts for the benefit of the allied industry and the aerial application industry. (Presented by the NAAA Allied Industry Committee.)

Delta Air Lines “Puffer” Award: Recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the design of agricultural aircraft and/or related equipment.

Evans-Christopher Operation S.A.F.E. Award: Recognizes individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the Operation S.A.F.E. program. (Presented by NAAREF.)

John Robert Horne Memorial Award: Honors a pilot with five or fewer years of experience in the agricultural aviation industry who has an exemplary safety record and has contributed to safety in ag aviation. This award no longer has carryover nominations from year to year; a new nomination must be submitted every year.

Larsen-Miller Community Service Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by a member to his or her community.

Opal and Bill Binnion Memorial Award: Acknowledges those who contribute to NAAA in its efforts to educate the public about aerial application.

Richard “Dick” Reade Memorial Award: Recognizes outstanding contributions by an allied industry member and their company.

William O. Marsh Safety Award: Recognizes significant achievements in safety, safety education or an outstanding operational safety program.

Zoren and Joan O’Brien Memorial Outstanding Service Award: Awards outstanding service to the commercial agricultural aviation industry or to its association.

The 2024 NAAA Award recipients will be honored at the Excellence in Ag Aviation Banquet on Nov. 20 in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Exhibitor Details for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo: Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space Now Open
Join us for the 2024 Ag Aviation Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, Nov. 18-21. In addition to attending the NAAA Ag Aviation Expo, Fort Worth is full of great restaurants, bars, fun activities, and Texas hospitality! You can visit the Historic Stockyards for the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive, stop by Billy Bob’s, the world’s largest honkey tonk, or shop and dine in the 35-block Sundance Square entertainment district. The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is also a must-see.

Booth Sales for Aircraft & Large Booth Space Now Open: If you plan to bring an aircraft, need a 20’x20’+ island booth, a 10’x30’+ inline booth or plan to be a Diamond or Platinum Sponsor, please contact Lindsay Barber ASAP. To ensure the best placement on the trade show floor, we appreciate knowing about aircraft and large booth spaces by the end of April.

Booth Sales for 10×10 and 10×20 space begin on Thursday, July 11. More details will be emailed to member Allied companies in June.

The NAAA Trade Show will take place Nov. 19, 12 p.m.–5:30 p.m. and Nov. 20, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Review the NAAA Exhibitor Prospectus and exhibitor webpage for further details, pricing and dates. The full schedule of events is available here.
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NAAREF to Host Fourth Annual In-Season Safety Session on June 3; Register In Advance

NAAREF will host an in-season safety session on June 3 at 8 p.m. CDT with a small panel of PAASS presenters. The topics will include current trends in ag accidents, good mentoring practices, and other topics of interest to participants. The safety session will be presented via a Zoom webinar. Please attend the NAAREF safety session and spread the word to others. As we enter the busiest time of the season it’s critical to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.

NAAREF held the first in-season safety session in 2021 after the ag aviation industry had suffered five fatal accidents by the end of May. The safety sessions are intended to bring safety to the forefront of ag aviators’ minds just before the busy part of the spraying season occurs. Past topics covered include avoiding wire strikes, mentorship, helicopter operations, and avoiding mid-air collisions. You can view recordings of prior NAAREF Safety Sessions, as well as other great safety videos, on NAAA’s Safety and Education Videos webpage.
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