For many decades, technology has been reinventing the global industrial landscape. And now, more than ever, the pace of digitalization, automation, and artificial intelligence is driving dramatic shifts in how firms operate and provide their products and services. This transformation has affected almost every area and industry including farming. Improved automation systems, data analytics platforms, and machinery have allowed farmers to apply various technologies that help them manage their crops better and simplify operations. One such technological innovation is the use of agricultural drones to carry out farming practices. The use of drones in the agriculture sector is rising rapidly. According to Skygaze Market Research, the global agriculture drone market size is anticipated to reach USD 21.5 Billion in 2030 at a CAGR of 32% over the forecast period.
Drone Technology
A deeper understanding of agricultural drones can only be achieved when the characteristics of drones are fully understood. Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are equipped with navigation systems, GPS, multiple sensors, high-quality cameras, programmable controls, and automatic controls. They typically rely on radio frequency (RF) transmitters or wireless communication systems such as Wi-Fi to send data and receive commands from ground control stations or remote locations.
Drone Technology in Agriculture
Drone technology is rapidly reestablishing traditional agricultural practices, and subsequently doing so in the following ways:
- Crop Monitoring: Equipped with multispectral sensors and high-resolution cameras, drones are capable of accurately photographing crop fields. These images provide farmers with vital information about the health of their crops, allowing them to quickly identify problems such as disease outbreaks, pests, nutrient deficiencies, and water stress. Knowing such information helps them in taking timely action and further improving their land's productivity.
- Field Mapping and Surveying: Using photogrammetry and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) generation, drones can produce accurate 3-D maps and topographical models of agricultural fields. Farmers can successfully plan planting and sowing approaches, irrigation systems, and land management strategies by using these maps to exactly check the terrain, soil composition, and drainage patterns of their fields.
- Precision Agriculture: By providing focused solutions for specific parts of their farms, drones allow farmers to practice precision farming. We can measure data collected from drones to identify areas of variation in crop vigor or yield. This allows supplies such as fertilizers, herbicides, or water to be delivered exactly where they are needed, reducing waste and increasing yields.
- Crop Spraying: Agrochemicals can be applied to vegetation with precision and efficiency with the help of agricultural drones outfitted with spraying systems. Drone spraying has several benefits over conventional floor-based spraying techniques, along with much less chemical usage, correct application, and the potential to attain hard or uneven terrain without causing any crop harm.
- Livestock Monitoring: Thermal cameras on drones can be used to monitor animal health and behavior in large-scale agricultural operations. Farmers can use drones to conduct aerial surveys of their livestock, identify individual animals, look for signs of disease or distress, and monitor the health of pastures and infrastructure.
Limitations and Challenges in the Agricultural Drone Technology
Even though the agricultural drone technology has shown great promise in transforming agricultural practices, it has several limitations that prevent its widespread and effective application. Some of the major limitations and challenges are as follows:
- Expenditure: One of the biggest challenges in implementing agricultural drones is the high initial cost. Many small farmers, especially in developing countries like ours, find it too expensive to buy drones and other equipment such as sensors, cameras, and software.
- Limited Technology: Many rural and remote farmers may lack the desired infrastructure and technical support needed to adopt and integrate drone technology into their agricultural operations due to the lack of Internet literacy.
- Privacy Concerns: The use of drones for air traffic control and data collection raises privacy and security concerns. Farmers and landowners are hesitant to adopt drones because they are concerned about illegal spying or data use.
- Weather: Agricultural drones are more susceptible to wind, rain, and heat. Adverse weather conditions can jeopardize drone operations and compromise the accuracy and reliability of data collection and crop monitoring activities.
- Flight Time and Battery Life: Agricultural drones have short flight times and short battery life, making it impossible to cover large areas of farmland in a single flight. This limitation requires the battery to be recalled or replaced regularly, resulting in low uptime and inefficient operation.
Overcoming these challenges will require significant efforts from agricultural technology stakeholders, including governments, research institutes, industry players, and farmers themselves.
Conclusion
Looking ahead, the integration of drones into traditional and conventional farming practices has the potential to transform the way food is produced. It would allow the farmers to harness technology, embrace innovation, and enter into an era of production where every field is well managed, every crop well cultivated and every harvest abundant.
