Development of Aerial Pesticide Spraying in Japan’s Agriculture: From MAVs to UAVs, 1950s-2010s

This study analyzes the development of aerial pesticide spraying in Japan’ s agriculture, clarifying “incremental” and “induced” innovation through interactions between agriculture and non-agricultural sectors. First, spraying began with fixed-wing aircraft (airplanes) in the 1950s but shifted to helicopters, better suited to Japan’s terrain and operational needs. However, safety concerns, drift issues, and declining profits led the Japan Agricultural Aviation Association (JAAA) to promote unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), culminating in Yamaha Motor’s success with the world’s first unmanned helicopter. Second, the diffusion of MAVs and UAVs was supported by Japan’s plant protection system, built under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), with pest control stations and JAAA playing central roles. Although created under government initiative, JAAA’s momentum grew from local and private bottom-up efforts, establishing regulations, safety, and effective pest forecasting networks with farmers and NOSAI (National Agricultural Insurance Association). Third, private companies drove innovation: airlines developed spraying devices, Mitsubishi supplied helicopters, and companies like Kobe Giken, Yamaha, and Hirobo pioneered UAV technology, later joined by Yanmar and Kubota. Yet UAV use faced rising costs, operator shortages, and aging license holders, prompting a shift since 2017 toward lower-cost, easier-to-use multicopters (drones), which now spread widely for timely and localized pest control.