Drone for Agriculture in India: All Farmers Need to Know!

What Are Drones?

An unmanned aircraft is a drone. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems are more official names for drones. A drone is essentially a flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly on its using flight plans that are controlled by software and onboard sensors and a global positioning system (GPS).

What Are Agricultural Drones?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) known as an agricultural drone is used in agricultural operations, mostly for yield optimization and for monitoring crop development and output. Drones used in agriculture may gather data on soil differences, crop health, and crop growth phases. On agricultural drones, multispectral sensors are used to capture electromagnetic radiation, such as near-infrared and short-wave infrared, that is not visible to the human eye.

Agricultural Drones In India

Agricultural drones are garnering a lot of attention in India owing to the utility it offers. They are mostly used in large farms to monitor weather conditions, crop situation surveillance and other purposes.

Types Of Drones In Agriculture

Since drones are extremely useful in agriculture. Technology has been focusing on developing drones that are tailored for specific purposes.

Below are a few types of drones that are made for agriculture.

1. Rotary Drones:

The number of rotors used to identify rotary drones (propellers). The quadcopter (Figure 1a), which contains four rotors, is one illustration.

2. Fixing Wing Drone

Most fixed-wing drones only have one propeller, and they operate similarly to aeroplanes in that they use lift and drag to maintain altitude. Fixed-wing drones can therefore fly for up to 20 minutes on a single charge and have longer battery lifetimes.

3. Camara And Sensor Drones

Many well-known consumer drones include built-in cameras that are useful for taking pictures or conducting scouting missions (Figure 3a). Field crop health drones may be equipped with specialist cameras, sometimes at a significant premium above consumer drones. The final user will determine the required camera for agriculture.

History Of Drones In Agriculture

Drone proponents have long touted precision agriculture or crop management that makes use of GPS and big data, as a method to boost agricultural productivity while addressing the world’s food and water issues. Sadly, up until recently, drones didn’t have much of an influence on farming methods. Precision farming and drone use in agriculture are hot topics right now.

Agricultural practises are changing as a result of drones delivering agricultural intelligence for both farmers and agricultural consultants, from the ability to image, recreate, and analyse individual leaves on a corn plant from 120 metres height to getting information on the water-holding capacity of soils to variable-rate water applications.

Agriculture Drone Market In India

According to Frost and Sullivan, drone adoption in India’s agriculture sector would rise at a CAGR of 38.5% and reach $121.43 million by 2030, accounting for 2% of all expenditures on agricultural machinery. More than 50% of the market is occupied by spraying activities.

How Does Drone Technology Work?

Light composite materials are typically used in unmanned aircraft to save weight and improve agility. Military drones can fly at exceptionally high altitudes thanks to the strength of the composite material.

UAV drones are outfitted with a variety of cutting-edge technologies, including infrared cameras, GPS, and lasers (consumer, commercial and military UAV). Remote ground control systems (GSC), sometimes known as ground cockpits, are used to operate drones.

The drone itself plus the control system makes up an unmanned aerial vehicle system.

Agriculture Drone Price In India

Typically, agricultural drones cost somewhere in the range of 4 -10 lacs. However, depending on the technology installed in the drone the price may vary.

Here are a few parameters that affect drone prices in India:

The majority, of the category of drones, affects the price. Apart from that, the brand, installed technology, quality of the camera and senor all affect the prices.

Application Of Drones In Agriculture

Drones have widespread use in agriculture and help save time and energy for farm owners and also reduce human intervention.

Here are some application/uses of the drones in agriculture:

Agriculture Drone For Spraying Fertilizer And Pesticides

Agriculture drones for spraying fertilizers and pesticides are very effective as they cover a large area quickly and also ensure that the spaying has been done efficiently.

Agriculture Drone For Crop Surveillance

Crop surveillance is important in the case of cash crops and other important crops to avoid theft and spoiling of crops.

Agriculture Drone For Field Monitoring

Field Monitoring is important since fields are at risk of invaders and wild animals that soil the crops.

4. Agriculture Drone For Planting And Seeding

Sowing seeds and planting saplings in large plants can be very time-consuming. So to ensure that it is done effectively, drones are used.

Agriculture Drone For Security

Security against theft and burning of crops and wild animals is very important hence drones play a huge role in this area.

Agriculture Drone For Livestock Management

Livestock that is sent for grazing might sometimes wander off into the wile and drones can prove effective in tracking and keeping a check on them.

Advantages Of Agricultural Drones

Let us look at the advantages of agri-drones

Efficient: They are effective and deliver real-time information to the user.
Save time: Drones save both time and energy and can be controlled sitting in one place. It also decreases human intervention
Multiple Uses: Drones can be operated by multiple users at the same time and are convenient.
Remote Mapping/Agriculture: Drones provide technological insight into farming and are very important to make an informed decision based on the insights.

Limitations Of Agri Drones

Though there are advantages to using Drones there are also many disadvantages to the same.

Let us look at the disadvantages of a drone.

Might be complicated for some: It may be difficult at first o use a drone and requires training in some cases.
Expensive: Drones are extremely expensive and maybe a huge investment for people, especially in India since farmers are not always economically sound.
Technology changes frequently: There are updates and upgrades that drones offer and is not a one-time buy.
Legal restrictions: There are a lot of legal restrictions in India when it comes to owning a drone and hence it might be a limitation to get a license.

Impact Of Drones On Agriculture

Drones can play an impactful role in agriculture and can be used for various purposes. They provide a lot of valuable data that can help farmers in efficient field planning, and soil and field analysis. They can also be used to mount sensors to evaluate moisture content in the soil, terrain conditions, soil conditions, soil erosion, nutrient content, and fertility of the soil. Drones also positively impact livestock management and protect farms against theft or burning.

The Future Of Drones In Agriculture

Drones have a bright future in agriculture as they are being designed to function as mechanical pollinators and to incorporate smart applications, making them an effective and reasonably priced solution to the problem of rising food insecurity.

How To Choose The Right Agricultural Drone For Your Farm

Here are a few factors to consider while choosing an agricultural drone for your farm:

Use of memory points to return to a place of interest
It can record video apart and live streaming
Integrated GIS mapping
Safety features such as a fly home in the case of loss of control
Automatic or manual control modes
Easy control of the drone

Tips For Flying Agricultural Drones Safely And Efficiently

Flying drones can be tricky and is important to ensure that you follow the right means when it comes to flying drones.

Here are a few safety tips for flying agricultural drones safely and efficiently.

Try to stay below 400 feet.
Keep your drone in sight.
Stay clear of other drones and aircraft.
Stay away from people.
Stay up to date on local regulations and weather

Best Drones For Agriculture

Looking for a drone that best suits your agricultural needs? Here is list of the recommended drones for agriculture:

DJI Agras MG-1: (best drone for farmers)
DJI Mavic 2 Pro: (best drone for farmers for mapping)
DJI Phantom 4: (best drone for farmers for crop monitoring)
DJI Mavic Pro: (best drone for farmers for pesticide application)
DJI Mavic Mini: (best budget drone for farmers)
DJI FPV: (best drone for beginner farmers)
DJI Mavic 3 Cine Premium Bundle: (best drone for farmers for advertisement)
Parrot Anafi: (best drone for farmers for surveys)
Potensic T25: (best inexpensive drone for farmers)
DJI Inspire 2: (best drone for farmers for plant health)

FAQs About Agriculture Drone

Let us answer some of the most frequently asked questions about drones.

Q1. What Are Drones Used For In Agriculture?

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) known as an agricultural drone is used in agricultural operations, mostly for yield optimization and for monitoring crop development and production. Drones used in agriculture can gather data on soil differences, crop health, and crop growth stages.

Q2. How Drones Are Changing Agriculture

To gather exact information on crop water requirements and irrigated areas, they are outfitted with smart technologies, high-resolution cameras, and high-tech sensors. This makes it possible for farmers to only irrigate the areas of the field that need it, as opposed to watering the entire field.

Q3. What Is Drone Technology In Agriculture?

Agriculture drone empowers the farmer to adapt to specific environments and make mindful choices accordingly. It also helps them better understand the terrain they work with and additionally take informed decisions.

Q4. When Were Agricultural Drones Invented?

Agriculture drones were mostly invented in 1906.

Q5. Can Agricultural Drones Be Flayed At Night?

Yes, agricultural drones can be used at night.

Q6. Do Drones Cannot Fly In Hilly Regions For Agriculture Monitoring?

Yes, agricultural drones can fly in hilly regions. However, there are some restrictions and laws that protect sensitive information from such regions to go out.

Q7. Is It Necessary To Get a License For Agriculture Drones

Yes, it is necessary to get a license for agricultural drones.

Q8. Which Countries Are Using Drone For Agriculture?

Most countries in the world use agricultural drones.

Wrapping Up

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are utilized for surveillance across a variety of businesses. Up until recently, they were mostly utilized by businesses in the mining and construction industries, the military, and amateurs. But now that drone technology is more widely accessible, it can also be used in a number of agricultural sectors. Though the technology is still in its infancy in India, many businesses are working to make it easily accessible to Indian farmers and prepared for use to boost agricultural production efficiency.

Agricultural Drone Services In India

Are you looking to find assistance on the matter of drones in Agriculture, get in touch with us today to find all the information related to agricultural drone services in India. Know more about how best drones can serve you.

Drone for Agriculture in India A Complete Guide