Advantages and Disadvantages of Drones in Agriculture You Should Know

Introduction

Once only known as critical tools for photography,  drones are becoming every large-scale farmer’s tool, especially in crop spraying operations.

Increasingly, agriculturists are embracing the use of drones in farming due to their efficiency, ability to save time, reduction of labor costs, and crop monitoring, among other benefits.

Nevertheless, drones have several drawbacks, including licensing and training requirements, high costs, technical expertise requirements, and more.

In this write-up, we will discuss the pros and cons of these and other agricultural drones, helping you decide if they’re a great asset for your farming needs.

What are Agricultural Drones?

Agricultural drones are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) that assist agriculturists in managing farms, improving yields, and increasing sales.

These drones benefit agriculturalists by having spraying systems, sensors, and cameras. A drone could have more or fewer features depending on its advancement and category.

Agricultural drones are classified into two types:

• Spraying drones: Precisely distribute water, chemicals, or seeds on crops. They have tanks and nozzles for spraying purposes and spreaders for seeding.
• Mapping drones: Collect farm/crop images and data for farmers to analyze.

Key Features of Agricultural Drones

Modern agricultural drones feature advanced capabilities that enable agriculturists to make informed decisions based on the data they gather.

Some of the features of these drones include:

Automated Navigation

Drones used in agriculture can follow pre-programmed flight paths, eliminating the need for manual control and shortening the flight time.

Advanced Cameras

Agricultural drones feature multispectral or thermal cameras, which help collect detailed images of crops. From the images, agriculturists detect plant diseases, identify water stress, or assess crop and soil health, even before the problems are visible to the human eye. These cameras are also quite helpful for livestock management, as they have aided in locating missing livestock during both day and night, even in the most challenging situations.

Spraying and Seeding Systems

Advanced drones have a high payload and crop spraying systems, allowing agriculturists to apply chemicals, water, or plant crops on large areas of land.

Obstacle Avoidance

Modern agricultural drones feature obstacle and collision avoidance capabilities that help detect and avoid trees, buildings, power lines, and other obstacles. This feature is crucial in preventing crashes that could result in costly expenses.

GPS and GIS Mapping Systems

Featuring Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), drones create maps showing soil variation, vegetation indices, and crop density.

Real-time Data Transmission

Drones send data to mobile Apps or ground control systems in real time, allowing agriculturists to analyze the data immediately for instant decision-making.

Long Range Batteries

Advanced agricultural drones feature improved batteries, resulting in longer flight times. For example, long-range drones can fly for up to 60 minutes, standard drones can last 25 to 40 minutes, while heavy-duty drones can fly for 15 to 25 minutes.

However, the flight time can differ drastically based on weather conditions and the payload.

Pros and Cons of Agricultural Drones

Drones have contributed significantly to the agriculture sector. Unfortunately, drones have a negative side, the major one being the loss of jobs.

Below are the cons and pros of drones in agriculture.

Advantages of Drones in Agriculture

Time Saving

Drones move fast, hence covering a large area in a short time. In our article “Drone Spraying in Agriculture: Efficiency, Cost, and Best Practices,” we highlighted that some farmers are able to spray crops more efficiently when using drones.

Precision Farming

Advanced farming drones utilize specialized software and spraying systems, enabling them to apply chemicals precisely and in the correct amount.

With the help of RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) and GPS modules, drones maintain a constant altitude, evenly applying chemicals or water to crops for massive crop production.

Chemical input is more efficient due to application precision.

Saves on Money

Drones save large-scale farmers a significant amount of money, which would otherwise be spent on hiring hundreds of laborers or purchasing heavy machinery, such as farming tractors. Farmers spend less on fuel, unlike traditional farming, where they relied on tractors to spray crops.

One or two drones can perform a task that requires tens of laborers, which reduces the cost of farming by several thousand dollars.

The minimal wastage of farm products equally contributes to farming costs. Not to mention, better farming habits due to the ability to plan ahead of time, based on collected information, result in reduced losses.

Enhanced Crop Health Monitoring

Drones feature cameras and sensors. Other notable features include hyperspectral or multispectral systems, which enable farmers to gather information about their crops from planting to harvest.

Time-lapse technology also helps experts track crop growth. Farmers who rely on tractors and laborers to water their crops or apply fertilizers miss out on this benefit.

Environmental Benefits

Drones don’t use heavy machinery, so they don’t cause soil compaction, a major problem associated with the use of heavy tractors on farms.

Consequently, drones do not harm the soil when seeding, watering, or spraying crops, preventing soil compaction, contamination, or erosion. Nurseries, vegetable farms, and orchards benefit the most from using drones instead of tractors and other ground devices.

When the soil is healthy, production is higher.

Difficult Terrain Accessibility

Some farms are in marshy, muddy, or sloppy areas, making it challenging to use tractors; hence, increasing farming costs.

Thanks to drones, which fly at a high altitude above the crops, they can water or disseminate pesticides or herbicides regardless of the terrain.

Timely Seeding

Drones are used in preharvest interseeding, where farmers plant seeds before harvesting the main crop, such as corn and soybeans.

Farmers in Ohio often practice preharvest interseeding between August and December. As a result, they enjoy timely planting, especially in crop rotation farming.

Ease of Use

Drones are not hard to use if you have a formal education or possess technical skills. With the right App on your phone and drone operation training, you’ll be good to go regardless of your technical background.

Farm Assessment

Drones perform quick farm assessments after droughts, tornadoes, earthquakes, or floods, helping agriculturists determine the extent of the damage to their farms or crops.

Agriculturists also use drones to easily generate 3D maps, which allow for the analysis of drainage patterns, soil texture, and elevation, enabling better preparation for planting and harvesting.

Safe Working Environment

Drones promote a safer work environment since they are operated remotely. As a result, pilots don’t have to go onto every inch of the farm, such as areas with uneven terrain. By applying from a distance instead of carrying the pump around on their back, they eliminate the risks of inhaling harmful chemicals.

Disadvantages of Drones in Agriculture

Now, let’s look at the negative side of drones in agriculture.

Maintenance Requirements

Drones require technical skills, which can be challenging for individuals who are not tech-savvy or have limited literacy.

A lack of maintenance could result in a breakdown of functionality because agricultural drones handle a variety of chemicals, including herbicides. Chemicals block nozzles and pipes, resulting in blockages or wear.

Chemical mist and dust could damage the drone motor or propellers. Proper drone cleaning is critical in preventing such scenarios.

Agriculturists without technical skills could regularly incur high repair costs, making using drones a loss rather than a ‘blessing.’

Payload Limitations

A drone is limited in capacity; it can only carry a few liters of chemicals, depending on the tank size. Depending on the size of the farm, agriculturists using only one drone must refill the tank several times to cover the entire farm, which can be exhausting and time-consuming.

Regulatory Restrictions

Most countries have restrictions on drone use that may prevent their use in agriculture. According to the FAA, agriculturalists must maintain altitude limits and possess operator’s licenses, training, insurance, and permits.

These restrictions result in heavy fines for non-compliance, preventing some agriculturists from using drones, as some countries haven’t legalized their use, or add extra costs due to license and permit fees.

Short Flight Time

The flight time of most agricultural drones ranges from 20 to 40 minutes. While such time is sufficient to complete many farm tasks, especially spraying, the flight time often drops to about 15 to 20 minutes due to cold weather, heavy payloads, or strong winds.

Large-scale farmers may need more drones or extra batteries, or swap batteries to do more quickly.

Weather Reliant

Drones rely heavily on weather conditions; they can’t operate in harsh conditions. Rain, high temperatures, fog, wind, and dust could lower the effectiveness of your flight or compromise the drone’s quality.

Large-scale farmers must adjust their schedules to accommodate drone-friendly weather conditions, which could result in losses or additional costs, such as hiring laborers or fueling tractors.

Complex Data Management System

Aerial agricultural drones capture large amounts of data that farmers need to analyze and interpret for excellent decision-making.

Agriculturists may not have the proper knowledge to analyze or interpret the captured datasets or may be too overwhelmed to study them, resulting in bad decisions that lead to costly mistakes.

Best Practices for Drone Integration

Drones are no longer a novelty. They are a serious investment that you should consider carefully before purchasing, taking into account their limitations.

Below are some key considerations and actions to take before investing in drone technology.

• Research – Conduct a lot of research on the different drones available, what they can do, the types of crops and soils you have, the needs you have, and if drones are suitable for them.
• Integrate – Drones are not a standalone tool – they work best when integrated into other workflows. When you settle for drone technology, find out how you can integrate it with other technologies you already have to get the most out of it.
• To buy or to hire – Purchasing a drone system can be costly and may not be economically viable if you will not be using it often. Consider how often you plan to use the drone, the cost of purchasing one versus hiring a professional drone service, and plan accordingly.
• Test – Before investing heavily in drone technology, ensure you test it first. You could hire a drone company or borrow one from a friend and gauge how effective it would be for your operations.

Conclusion

Agricultural drones offer numerous benefits, including extended flight times, enhanced decision-making capabilities, environmental preservation, and more.

Still, they also have drawbacks, such as operation restrictions, payload and flight time limitations, weather dependency, and complex data management systems.

For large-scale farmers, the advantages of agricultural drones often outweigh the disadvantages. As drone technology continues to improve, we can expect to see increased adoption.

However, drones can’t fix every agricultural problem, yet. The most effective way to integrate drones is to evaluate your needs and consider whether drones are the best solution, or if you may need to explore other technologies.