Usage of drones in Agriculture

ਮਾਹਿਰ ਲੇਖ

ਟੈਸਟ, Aug 12, 2022

India is an agricultural country, where farming has been done on a large scale through traditional methods, agriculture has been involved in life as a major occupation in our country for centuries, and at the same time, it has been meeting the food needs of the country. But to provide food security to the growing population, now it has become necessary to adopt modern methods by moving beyond the traditional methods of agriculture. Which farmers will get better quality products at less cost? Which will also improve their financial condition. Over time, there have been many changes in agriculture, which have simplified the lifestyle of farmers, such as sowing of crops, harvesting, irrigation, many modern machines and measures have been provided by science, which has been adopted by farmers and have improved agriculture. Similarly, many types of equipment are available in the market for the use of pesticides in the crop, but now according to the demand of the time, the use of drones is increasing for many agricultural-related tasks.

Types of Drones

There are two types of drones for agricultural use, fixed-wing, and multi-copter drones. Fixed-wing drones are more robust, they can withstand harsh weather conditions and have longer flight times than multi-copter drones. However, fixed-wing drones are more expensive, and their design requires a larger area for them to take off and land. Multi-copter drones are far more versatile, easier to fly, and much cheaper than fixed-wing drones.

Major uses of drones in agriculture

➥ For spraying insecticides, weed killer chemicals

➥ In the investigation and prevention of the spread of diseases and pests in the crop

➥ Knowing the geographical location of the farms

➥In spraying liquid and solid fertilizers

➥In spraying organic chemicals for the removal of crop residues and stubble

➥In irrigation

➥ In sprinkling seeds in fields and forests

For spraying pesticides and fertilizers

Drones have uniform spraying all over the field, which saves both time and chemicals, but if the conventional method (by hand) when the chemical is sprayed, there is no uniform spraying in place. In which both time and cost are more. Many diseases also must be faced due to direct contact with many harmful chemicals. Hence To promote the use of drones in agriculture, the Union Ministry of Agriculture under the scheme “Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) has launched an initiative by ICAR Institutes to make this technology affordable by assisting in the procurement and hiring, and demonstration of agricultural drones is financial assistance to Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s and State Agricultural Universities.To encourage farmers towards the use of drones, the facility of providing 100 percent or up to ten lakh rupees to buy drones is being provided, apart from this financial assistance of up to 75% will be provided to Farmer Producer Organizations for purchasing drones. This financial assistance will be applicable till 31 March 2023.

Prevention of the spread of diseases and pests in the crop

If the farmer is cultivating a large area, or the crop has grown in height, then in such a situation there is a lot of difficulty in seeing and identifying the insect or diseases in the crop. It takes more time which can result in loss of yield, but they can be easily detected with the help of drones, accurate status information can be seen from the camera in the drone, and necessary measures can be taken for prevention.

Knowing the geographical location of the fields: -

With the help of drones, farmers can know the exact geographical location (accurate measurement) of their field, which takes more time and cost to do manually, according to the current rule, while buying a new farm Photographs taken by drone are required.

Sowing of seeds

Although many machines are available for sowing in the fields, now with the use of drones, it is possible to sow many acres in just a few hours. Many crops like wheat, maize, and jowar can be sown easily.

In irrigation

An area of several acres can be easily irrigated through drones, which saves both time and water. Drone irrigation is much cheaper than the cost of electric or diesel-powered pumps or motors.

For the prevention of stubble

As we all know, stubble is a complex problem in some areas, which is a costly and more time-consuming process to remove from the fields, but with the help of drones, such biochemicals can be sprayed in some time. Which can be converted into straw fertilizer and there will be no air pollution.

Farmers can also use the above-given information on taking drones for rental. Many private and government organizations provide all facilities at the rate of Rs 400 to 600 per acre. Which is much less than the normal cost in any situation and saves time.

How to get a license

The Government is also making arrangements for training Drone pilots for farmers to fly drones as only Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) certified pilots can fly Agri drones. It has been prescribed by the government to use only DGCA-certified drones for drug spraying and other purposes. For training drone pilots in India, more than 40 schools have been established, which are recognized by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). To get the license, you must fill out Form D 4 at pariksha.dgca.gov.in, for which a fee of ₹ 100 must be paid, which will be Once a computer number is issued, you can apply for the exam on the same website where the portal for the exam is opened. It is open for 7-10 days, to apply you must be 18 years old and have a 10th pass certificate. You can get a license after passing a medical examination specified by the DGCA and a background check by the relevant government agency.

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