Mansoor Sadiq

Agricultural drone mechanisation is getting popular among farmers from all over Pakistan to apply sprays and carry out surveillance against pests with ease in the fields and orchards. “This innovative technology has got confidence of the farmers as it has enhanced agricultural productivity and ensured surveillance of crops against pesticides,” said Adnan Shafiq, agricultural drone expert from Alpha-Robotics Pakistan, an integrated service enterprise specialising in UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) research and development.

Adnan said that agri-drone technology is one of the best innovations in agriculture and it is helping farmers improve the average yield of their crops by containing pests attack and applying sprays. He said agricultural drone technology is new in Pakistan, whereas it is popular all over the world since many years ago.

Pakistan is an agricultural country, but it still faces food security issues owing to lack of innovative technology. Therefore, Pakistan had to import wheat and pulses to fulfil its needs. Adnan said agricultural drones are very efficient due to accuracy. He said that spray can be applied on one acre land only within five to eight minutes, and 100 acres of crops and orchard land can be covered in a day.

Drones can spray on high-density orchards and crops of big heights such as sugarcane, maize, sorghum, and it can also be used for fumigation of fields in stagnant water due to heavy rains. The expert said drone mechanisation is best for areas where labour availability is a major issue. He said Alpha Robotics is a leading drone service provider operating across the Punjab province.

He said farmers and growers from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces specially hire the services of agri-drones for fumigation of orchards with accuracy to get maximum benefits. “The drones first fly over an area to map it, collecting data about the topography and soil condition that can be combined with satellite data and analysed to determine the best locations to plant each seed,” said Adnan, adding that drones can be used in agriculture to gain real-time footage of fields to prevent losses and ensure the uniform growth of crops.

“We are using RTK (real-time kinematic) drone system for spray of crops, which is noted for its accuracy and the entire field can be fumigated accurately contrary to traditional mechanism,” he said. Adnan pointed out that there is a scarcity of skilled labour in Pakistan’s rural areas, where traditional ways of applying spray are still in practice.

“Similarly, there are dilution issues of pesticides and sometimes improper measuring units being used by farmers mar efficiency and accuracy of pesticide sprays, but through drone technology, we are providing solutions to these issues with accuracy and efficiency by marking field areas in centimetres,” he said.

Adnan said the agri-drone technology in Pakistan gained boost following the anti-locusts spray in Thal and adjoining areas, which was conducted in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). “With two weeks training, farmers will be able to apply drone spray themselves,” he added.

 Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk