What are the main uses of drones in agricultural production?

Drones used in agriculture are commonly referred to as agricultural plant protection drones. They are mainly unmanned aerial vehicles used for agricultural and forestry plant protection operations. They can achieve spraying operations through ground remote control or GPS flight control, and can spray pesticides, seeds, powders, etc.

Compared with traditional plant protection operations, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have the characteristics of precise operation, efficient environmental protection, intelligence, and simple operation. In addition, due to their small size, light weight, convenient transportation, and flexible flight control, agricultural plant protection UAVs have good applicability to different plots and crops. Therefore, their application prospects are very broad and have received widespread attention from the public in recent years.

There are many types of drones, and there are roughly two classification methods applied in the agricultural field:

1) According to power classification, it can be divided into oil powered drones (with the engine as the power unit) and electric drones (with the motor as the power unit);

2) According to the structure of the aircraft, it can be divided into fixed wing drones, single rotor drones, and multi rotor drones.

At present, the application of drones in agricultural production has achieved initial results, mainly reflected in the following six aspects

1、 The agricultural drone equipped with high-definition cameras and advanced sensors for land and soil analysis can draw accurate three-dimensional maps of land and soil analysis, and develop detailed plans for sowing, playing a crucial role in the initial stage of agricultural production. At the same time, agricultural drones in this category can also closely monitor the condition of land plots, providing strong data support for later irrigation and soil nitrogen content management.

2、 Aerial seeding scientists have racked their brains and developed a comprehensive drone seeding system. This system can simultaneously inject seeds and all the nutrients required for their growth into the soil. This technology has increased the nutrient absorption rate of seeds by 75%, while reducing planting costs by 85%. Not only does it ensure the survival rate of seeds, but it also relatively reduces the consumption of other resources, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

3、 Agricultural drones loaded with ultrasound, radar, and advanced spraying systems are widely used in plant protection operations, also known as plant protection drones. This type of drone can continuously adjust its flight altitude based on geographical terrain, independently identify and avoid obstacles, and rely on advanced spraying systems to carry out precise and uniform spraying operations on crops. This technology greatly reduces the amount of pesticides used and effectively reduces the pollution of water bodies and the environment caused by plant protection operations. According to expert estimates, plant protection drones have a work efficiency of up to five times higher than traditional machinery, which will greatly reduce the consumption of manpower and material resources.

4、 The large area of crop monitoring and the low efficiency of crop monitoring are another major pain point in agricultural production. As global temperatures rise and climate change becomes increasingly unpredictable, the management and maintenance of land conditions have become increasingly difficult. Previously, farmers mainly relied on satellite images to assist in crop monitoring, but their costs were too high and they needed to purchase in advance, and the daily average service efficiency was also difficult to provide real-time and accurate crop monitoring information. Agricultural drones equipped with real-time imaging systems have emerged, providing reliable and effective guarantees for farmers to monitor crop growth more accurately and take timely and effective prevention and control measures.

5、 Agricultural irrigation is equipped with hyperspectral, multispectral, and thermal sensors for agricultural drones, which can accurately analyze and identify arid areas of land parcels, providing strong data support for precision irrigation operations. In addition, during the growth process of crops, this type of drone can also calculate vegetation index, analyze crop density and health status based on the heat emitted by the crops themselves.

6、 Crop health assessment is one of the necessary guarantees for high-quality agricultural production, which involves assessing the health of crops and identifying pests and diseases in a timely manner. By equipped with visible infrared and near-infrared emission equipment, agricultural drones can accurately analyze the amount of green and near-infrared light reflected by crops and draw multispectral images to track changes in crops and their health status. Farmers can make rapid and effective prevention and control measures based on corresponding data to ensure that crops are kept away from pests and diseases, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of agricultural production.