Farmers are turning to drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles, to monitor their crops and identify what areas need attention. This is beneficial for multiple reasons: drones are able to provide general data on plant health at a much lower cost than by using manned aircrafts.
This saves money for the farmer. Additionally, drone footage provides more accurate information because it can be made through difficult terrains so that crop boundaries are better visible. Digital photos can be taken from various angles without having to do any harm to the crops, which means there is no damage done so there would also be less waste during harvesting time.Addor RAR
Use of Drone Camera :
1. Quality Assessment.
The drone helps to get data on plant health, which can be used by farmers and researchers to determine the quality of the crop on a day-to-day basis as well as for making comparisons over time. This is important because such information can be used to modify crop management practices, thus increasing yield and improving quality of crops. It also reduces risks for farmers in terms of disease, soil erosion and labor costs related to frequent field visits.
2. Disease Diagnosis
This may work best with fruit trees and vineyards, given their high value and high cost of management due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions. The drone also helps in identifying diseases and pests associated with particular crops.
3. Economics
Drones are used to measure the amount of water needed by crops to stay healthy and are thus able to provide an indication on how much water is needed by the crop in a day or week. This can be used to keep pests under check, control weeds, monitor weather conditions and assess how the crop is doing.
Such information can be compared with data on crop yields and help farmers make better decisions regarding the management of their farms. It can also help them find out where they might need additional irrigation systems because planting new plants would not be an option if it does not work for that area anyway.
4. Productivity
The above mentioned information can be used to inform the amount of labor needed for a particular crop and help for better management and productivity.
Drone manufacturers such as Parrot, DJI, 3D Robotics and other companies also provide data on their products so that farmers can make use of them as well. Some of these companies also provide free samples if farmers are interested in using it.
However, at the moment, there is no complete market survey available on how the usage rates are in different areas or which parts of the country lags behind other regions. There is a need for better research on this topic due to its popularity in different farming regions all across India.
5. Precision Agriculture
Another beneficial aspect of the drone is that it can be used to help farmers make proper use of fertilizers and chemicals, which helps in lesser waste and makes better use of resources. A survey conducted in the United States showed that at least 30% of fertilizers are not used properly because most farmers did not know what dosage is suitable for their crops.
Using drones in this regard would help farmers better estimate the amount of fertilizer needed for their plants so as to avoid overspending and using excess chemicals which may pose a threat to humans and animals living nearby. Drones can also be used to monitor whether there are pests that could endanger crops or spread disease.
6. Water Security
The drone can be used to survey for areas where water is abundant so that crops can be planted there. This is beneficial because it means less effort in terms of gathering data as well as a better yield by planting crops in the right place.
It also ensures that farmers will have adequate amounts of water to sustain their food crops, which would reduce the need to rely on other kinds of resources such as wells or streams.
7. Precision Population Monitoring
− The drone can be used to identify areas where the plants are sparse and thus require more attention or are dying out due to absence of proper care, which means they may not provide enough yield in the end. Farmers would have an idea of which plants to prioritize, thus making better use of resources and yields.
8. Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment
− The drone can identify areas prone to floods, landslide threats and accidents or other risks on the farm. This can be used as a means to identify gaps that need to be filled and help farmers in deciding on where they should invest in additional resources such as fences or irrigation systems.
Drones are also commonly used for assessing the performance of the crops during harvest time for determining the needs for pickers in terms of labor, since most of them do not have local knowledge about where best crops are located at any given time by knowing which plant goes where during harvesting time.
