Court confirmed: drones help viticulture and protect the environment!

Court confirmed: drones help viticulture and protect the environment!

Unteres Moseltal, Deutschland - The Koblenz Administrative Court has confirmed the legality of the permits for the application of pesticides using helicopter in a pioneering decision. This decision also applies to the modern use of drones, as the Rhineland-Palatinate state government emphasizes. The permits meet the legal requirements and include extensive requirements for the protection of biodiversity. The use of drones is seen as a sustainable method to reduce the use of pesticides and protect the environment, describes mwvlw.rlp.de .

The decision comes against the background of an urgent application from German Environmental Aid (DUH), which had called for an immediate stop of the pesticide output in the habitat of the endangered Moselle Apollo. This species is at risk in Europe and only occurs in a few regions, including the lower Moselle valley. According to Duh, the helicopter sprays that have been in place since May 6, 2025 are one of the main causes for the decline in this type of butterfly. The DUH sees the approval of the supervisory and service directorate as ecologically nonsensical and illegal, since pesticides from the air are only allowed in exceptional cases, reports duh.de .

biodiversity and use of pesticide

The application of pesticides, especially in May to August, has significant negative effects on biodiversity. Scientific studies show that protected animal species, such as the Moselle Apollo, are at risk from chemical substances. These findings underline the urgent need to take measures to protect the environment and stop the decline in biodiversity. The Federal Environment Agency emphasizes that Germany endangers the goals of the European Flora-Fauna Habitat and Wasser Framework Directive if the application of such pesticides is not critically questioned. The BUND therefore calls for rethinking and sets for Alternatives.

Overall, the current situation shows that the use of modern technologies such as drones in viticulture offers many advantages for efficiency and environmental friendliness, but at the same time there is a need to strictly monitor and regulate the ecological effects of these techniques in endangered species. The Moselle Pollofalter, which is very endangered by the current practices, symbolizes the challenges that landscape and agriculture stand today.