Aerial drones are basically unmanned aerial vehicles i.e. small aircraft that has no human pilot on board. They may be remotely-controlled or may alternatively fly autonomously based on some preset programs or by use of complex automation systems.
In the ensuing discourse, the drones’ applicability in the field of agriculture is going to be examined by highlighting their general benefits as well as how agricultural drones can help farmers to tell the difference between healthy and distressed crop, how they can increase the farmer’s profit, how they can tell which area of the field needs more water or less water, and how they can tell which area is infected and need attention e.t.c.
Increased Yields
Drones are capable of detecting those factors such as acidity of the soil, pest infestations, and sunlight deprivation that have the potential to severely eat into a farmer’s profits and relay that information to the farmer in a timely manner.
Higher Returns on Investments
Conservative estimates postulate that drones cost roughly $2 per acre in order to survey and visually inspect a piece of land. The amount of acquiring a drone may thus be easily offset in as little as just one crop season. The ownership of a drone, therefore, has the impact of reducing a farmer’s operational costs in the long run.
Time-Saving
These gadgets greatly reduce the time taken to cover a farm and inspect the crops since they are faster and relay information in real time. Their adoption and subsequent use therefore greatly expedites the process of farming and increases a farmer’s productivity.
User Friendliness
The present standards of the drones which enable farmers to determine the range, maximum height, top speed and trajectory of the drones in advance coupled with the Integrated GIS Mapping capability which enables farmers to draw the borders of their fields and determine the flight patterns beforehand both work hand in hand to ensure the ease of use of these unmanned aerial vehicles.
They may, therefore, be used by persons of all skill levels ranging from the complete novices to professional experts.
Crop Health Monitoring
They grant farmers the capability of ascertaining the true health of the crops in their fields thanks to the “color-contrast” feature. Among the various aspects of the crops in the fields that may be ascertained include the amount of sunlight that the crops absorb, the distribution of soil moisture content on the fields, and the existence of any crop pests.
Added Convenience
By virtue of the existence of the flip-off switch, these unmanned aerial vehicles can be guided to return to their initial take-off locations whenever they encounter distress or are finally through with their missions.
This brings along added convenience to the farmers in the sense that they are not required to trek long distances to look for their crop surveying drones once the mission for which they were deployed has been concluded.
Final Verdict
Drones are indeed a big blessing to the field of agriculture owing to the crucial roles they play insofar as boosting the productivity of farms is concerned. It, therefore, follows that those large-scale farmers who typically own very large swathes of land have no option but to acquire these gadgets and incorporate them as part and parcel of their farm implements.
