1. Agricultural production monitoring
- Crop growth monitoring
- Agricultural drones are equipped with sensors and digital imaging capabilities that can provide multispectral images, including near-infrared views and visible spectrum views. This bird's-eye view allows farmers to clearly see the growth of crops, distinguish between healthy and unhealthy plants, and evaluate crop growth and yield. For example, images taken by drones can show whether crops have problems such as yellowing leaves and slow growth, so that farmers can take timely measures.
- Pest and fungal infestation detection
- Drone monitoring in the air can promptly detect areas of field pests and fungi infestation. Because drones can quickly cover large areas of farmland, they can detect early signs of pests and diseases more promptly than manual inspections. Once abnormal areas are found, farmers can carry out targeted prevention and control to reduce the impact of pests and diseases on crop yields.
2. Agricultural resource management
- Irrigation problem detection
- Through the aerial perspective of drones, areas of uneven irrigation in farmland can be observed. Some places may have too much water, while others may lack water and be dry. These problems can be intuitively presented through images taken by drones. Farmers can adjust irrigation systems based on this information to ensure that crops receive the right amount of water.
- Monitoring soil changes
- Drones can detect some changes in soil, such as differences in soil fertility and soil erosion. Soils of different fertility may appear differently on multispectral images, and soil erosion areas can also be detected through drone observation. This helps farmers take targeted soil improvement and protection measures.
III. Improving agricultural operation efficiency
- Improving sowing efficiency
- Taking Luoping County as an example, the local agricultural and rural departments use drones to sow rapeseed. Compared with traditional manual sowing methods, drone sowing technology is fast, efficient, and labor-saving\[3\]. Drones can accurately sow according to preset routes and sowing amounts, greatly improving the efficiency and uniformity of sowing, and helping to increase crop yields.
- Optimizing pesticide use management
- Agricultural drones can correctly monitor the use of pesticides. When spraying pesticides, drones can accurately control the dosage and range of pesticide spraying according to the growth of crops and the distribution of pests and diseases. This can not only minimize the impact of pesticides on the environment, but also improve the efficiency of pesticide use and reduce waste.
IV. Other aspects
- Livestock tracking and fence measurement
- In addition to its role in crops, agricultural drones can also be used to track the range of livestock activities and promptly detect livestock loss. It can also measure the length and integrity of fences, making it easier for farmers to manage ranch facilities.
