Farming has always been at the heart of India’s economy. However, farmers are increasingly looking for smarter ways to increase productivity because of rising costs, unpredictable weather, and labor shortages. One technology that is rapidly changing the landscape of agriculture is agricultural drones.
Drones, much like flying robots, are powerful precision tools that can introduce speed and efficiency into farming.
What Are Agricultural Drones?
Agricultural drones, also called agri-drones or Kisan drones, are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed for use on farms. Unlike small hobby drones, agricultural drones have spray tanks, sensors, cameras, and GPS systems that make trolling them using be any practical use in everyday operations on a farm.
Instead of spending hours spraying pests or wondering if your crops are healthy or not, farmers can use agricultural drones to do the job in a matter of minutes with greater accuracy.
How Are They Making a Difference?
There are many applications of agricultural drones, and their benefits are evident across all processes of operating a farm:
- Crop Spraying – Drones can apply fertilizers, pesticides, and nutrients uniformly across fields, thus minimizing waste and helping to produce healthy crops.
- Crop Monitoring – Drones allow farmers to capture high-resolution images of their fields before damage occurs. Drones can provide real-time images to help farmers identify pest attacks, pest damage, nutrient deficiencies, or water stress in a timely fashion.
- Soil and Field Mapping – Drones can analyze soil moisture, soil condition, and field condition, enabling farmers to make informed decisions regarding sowing and irrigation.
- Seed Sowing – Drones can place seed at a rapid pace in challenging landforms or in large fields, saving labor time.
- Irrigation Management – Drones can identify dry areas and over-wet areas in fields, leading to improved irrigation decisions.
- Yield Estimation – Drones provide relevant crop data, allowing farmers to predict crop yields, which can help farmers better plan in the marketplace.
What Is Driving Farmers To Adopt Drones
Farmers are adopting drones for one main reason – efficiency. Because what took days to complete now can take hours. Labor costs are gone, chemical usage is reduced, but most importantly, productivity is increased by using drones.
Agricultural drone manufacturers in India are encouraging farmers to modify their practices as the benefits of reduced costs are extensive, keeping in mind the government support to adapt this technology.
Innovations In Research And Agriculture
Drones are becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. Farmers are adopting drones to organize small or large-scale operations smartly, healthily, and more profitably to grow crops. Innovations in technology are entrenching the position of drones when doing agriculture or supporting agricultural practices, making agriculture even more sustainable and future environment-proof.