Aerial application, referred to by many as crop dusting, involves spraying crops with fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides from an agricultural aircraft. The specific spreading of fertilizer is also known as aerial topdressing. Fertilizers or fertilisers are compounds given to plants with the intention of promoting growth; they are usually applied either via the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar spraying, for uptake through leaves. ... An airplane spreading pesticide. ... Fungicides are pesticides for destruction or development prevention of fungi. ... An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use -- usually aerial application of pesticides or fertiliser, such as superphosphate. ... Aerial Topdressing is the spreading of fertilisers such as Superphosphate over farm land. ...

Ag aircraft are often purpose-built, though many have been converted from existing airframes. Helicopters are sometimes used, and some aircraft serve double duty as water bombers in areas prone to wildfires. Airframe is a novel by renowned author Michael Crichton first published in hardback edition in 1996 and as a paperback edition in 1997. ... The worlds most popular helicopter, the Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... An Air National Guard C-130 Hercules drops fire retardant on wildfires in Southern California Aerial firefighting is a method to combat wildfires using aircraft. ... Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ...