Overview
ISO 23117-1:2023 - "Agricultural and forestry machinery - Unmanned aerial spraying systems - Part 1: Environmental requirements" specifies environmental protection requirements for unmanned aerial spraying systems (UASS) mounted on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Used together with ISO 16119-1, this ISO standard focuses on minimizing potential environmental contamination when applying plant protection products (PPPs) in agriculture, forestry, turf and amenity areas. It takes precedence over ISO 16119-1, excludes human safety and UAS flight/remote pilot requirements, and does not apply to UASS mounted on UAS with maximum take-off mass greater than 150 kg or to equipment manufactured before publication.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard addresses design, performance and verification measures that reduce environmental risk. Major technical topics include:
- Spray tank design: dimensions, materials, filling openings, tank contents indicators and limits on volume of total residue.
- Hoses, connectors and spray booms: material selection, routing, secure connections and location to prevent leaks.
- Nozzles / atomizers: selection and anti‑drip measures to control droplet spectra and reduce drift.
- Filters and pumps: protection against clogging, leak prevention and reliable pump control.
- Control systems: requirements for manual and automatic spray control modes, spray pressure/flow-rate monitoring and data logging.
- Cleaning and rinsing: procedures and design features that limit dispersal of spray-mix residues during maintenance and drainage.
- Control of spray drift: measures to limit off-target deposition and foreseeable misuse.
- Verification and testing: provisions for connecting test equipment, performance verification and data required for conformity assessment.
- Documentation and marking: instruction handbook requirements, marking and information for safe, environmentally responsible operation.
Applications and users
ISO 23117-1 is intended for:
- UASS manufacturers and designers developing drone-mounted spraying systems who need to demonstrate environmental protection measures.
- Test laboratories and conformity assessors performing verification and performance tests against environmental criteria.
- Agricultural operators, service/maintenance teams and fleet managers implementing best-practice cleaning, filling and operational controls to reduce contamination risk.
- Regulators and environmental agencies seeking technical criteria for minimizing PPP environmental impacts from drone spraying.
Related standards
- ISO 16119-1 (Environmental requirements for sprayers - General) - used together with ISO 23117-1.
- Other referenced standards include ISO 5681 (vocabulary), ISO 13440 (residual volume), ISO 25358 (droplet spectra) and relevant sprayer connection and test-method standards.
Keywords: ISO 23117-1:2023, UASS, unmanned aerial spraying systems, UAS, drone spraying, environmental requirements, plant protection products, spray drift, nozzle, spray tank, data logging, verification.