Date: 14/03/2022 Shift: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Q. No: 45

Agriculture during this modern era is highly susceptible to climate change, land degradation and shrinkage of resources. In this context, the incorporation of sustainable development and technology advancement in agriculture is a necessity. One of the technological advancements in modern agriculture during recent times is drone technology. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remotely controlled air crafts with no human pilot on board. Use of drone technology in agriculture is having a revolutionary impact. Generally, drones consist of a navigation system, GPS, multiple sensors, high quality cameras etc. They enable evidence-based planning and spatial data collection. Major applications of drones in agriculture include: (a) Soil and field analysis: Potential soil quality, nutrient status, soil moisture status can be mapped by obtaining 3D images of field soil. This enables understanding of the heterogeneity of fields, planting patterns to follow and soil management strategies. (b) Crop spraying or spot spraying: This is the most important application of drones. The plant protection spraying is generally done manually or mechanically. The drone facilitated sprays are comparatively cheaper and more effective than the aforementioned methods. It is the best method for spraying operations over a large area especially when handling hazardous chemicals. It is reported that by using drones there was a reduction in herbicide use by 52% in soybean fields.
(c) Crop mapping and surveying: Near infrared (NIR) equipped drones can assess plant health. The overall mapping of field helps to understand how well the crop is established in various parts of the field. It can also tell at what stage the crop is. The GPS equipped drones can be a part of precision agriculture. (d) Irrigation monitoring and management: The thermal sensor facility in drones helps to track moisture status of the field. Real-time monitoring of field moisture status helps to take immediate irrigation or drainage actions. The areas that are deficit in moisture can be identified and area specific or need-based management can be done (e) Seed planting: Some drone manufactures are in experimentation to shoot seed material into prepared soil. If it is proven experimentally, then it would be a giant leap in modern agriculture. (f) Crop management assessment: The extent and nature of damage caused by pests, diseases and weeds can be understood by analysing multispectral images captured using drones.