Guardian Agriculture, a Massachusetts-based company that uses drones for crop protection, has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) systems nationwide.

The company believes it is the first commercially authorized eVTOL manufacturer with systems operating at scale across the country, capable of generating thousands of commercial flight hours. 

Guardian Agriculture claims to offer an eVTOL-sized solution that provides the same comprehensive coverage as traditional crop dusting and ground spraying equipment at the same or lower cost with digital precision. Guardian Agriculture plans to start commercial operations in California in the coming months, supporting Wilbur-Ellis while ramping up its production capacity.

Analyst QuickTake : Guardian Agriculture and Wilbur-Ellis have been collaborating to bring Guardian Agriculture's autonomous crop protection drones to the market and acquire regulatory approval for a launch in Salinas Valley, California, in 2023, even before they entered into their multi-million dollar partnership in June 2022.