Case Study
Restoring Lost Pasture in the Hills of Oklahoma
Davis Cattle Company
Client: Kevin Davis, Owner
Location: Battiest, Oklahoma
Objective: Eradicate heavy brush and invasive weeds to maximize cattle grazing acreage
The Challenge
For years, a critical section of the Davis Cattle Company ranch (known as the “Brown
Section”) sat unusable, choked out by persistent brush, briars, and weeds. Due to the nature of the problem, traditional methods couldn’t be applied:
- Conventional Aircraft Failed: The rolling hills of the Ouachita Foothills in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, and surrounding tree canopies made it impossible for a traditional Air Tractor to safely fly or accurately spray the section.
- Ground Rigs Failed: Attempting to drive a standard tractor and spray rig into the area repeatedly resulted in broken booms and costly equipment damage from hitting trees.
- Manual Labor Wasn’t An Option: The affected area was too large to treat on foot with a backpack sprayer
Because of the failure of other options, Mr. Davis was skeptical of drone capabilities. He doubted that an unmanned aircraft could successfully navigate the tight tree lines and steep hills of his
property.
The Solution
Tex-Air Drone met with Mr. Davis to address his doubts, explain the safety protocols of drone aviation, and design a customized treatment plan.
The project was executed in two phases:
Phase 1: High-Definition Mapping
Before any chemicals were loaded, the Tex-Air team spent several hours conducting a precise scouting mission. They utilized a small enterprise drone to map the exact contours of the overgrown field. The data captured was processed through Pix4D Fields to create a high-resolution orthomosaic map. This map clearly identified obstacle boundaries, tree heights, and the terrain elevation changes of the Ochoa hills.
Phase 2: Targeted Spraying
The finished orthomosaic map was downloaded directly into Tex-Air’s heavy-payload spray drone. Relying on their deep knowledge of agricultural chemicals and exact application rates, the Tex-Air crew deployed the ideal herbicide mix. The spray drone autonomously navigated the complex topography, safely weaving around trees and maintaining a precise altitude above the brush to ensure maximum chemical penetration and zero drift.
The Results
The results of the application were nothing short of excellent. Today, when Mr. Davis looks out across his previously ruined meadow, all he sees is clean, vibrant green grass.
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Maximum Forage Yield: By entirely wiping out the persimmon saplings, greenbriars, and weeds, the grass has reclaimed the soil, allowing Davis Cattle Company to run more cattle on the exact same footprint of land.
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Zero Equipment Damage: Tex-Air safely treated the land right up to the tree lines without a single piece of broken equipment or safety incident.
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A Lifetime Partnership: Impressed by the team’s agricultural expertise, hard work, and modern technology, Kevin Davis has committed to using Tex-Air Drone for all future spraying needs across the rest of his Oklahoma property.
Client Testimonial
“Drones were my only option left. I was skeptical at first about whether a drone could handle these hills and trees, but the team at Tex-Air knew exactly what they were doing. Their knowledge of the chemicals was top-notch, and they got into areas nothing else could reach. Now my field is clean, and I can run more cattle because of it”
–Kevin Davis, Owner of Davis Cattle Company