Indian state of Telangana to lead way in spraying pesticides through drones

Researchers from Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) in collaboration with Telangana’s Information Technology Electronics & Communication (ITE&C) Department and startup Maruti Dronetech will highlight the way forward for drones spraying pesticide in India which have been prohibited untill now. An SOP will be developed to streamline the technology in the country. The fieldwork is also being taken up across the state.

As part of the research, drones are being used to spray pesticides on paddy, groundnut, red gram, cotton, and soya bean crops at the Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARS) in Warangal, Jagtial, Palem, Tandur, and Rajendranagar. The crops make up almost 90% of the area under cultivation in Telangana.

The reason behind the prohibition of usage of drones is the lack of scientific validity. Experts involved in the research said there are several problems in the traditional method of spraying pesticides. “ The drone technology offers a golden opportunity for the accurate application of pesticides. It can also save water, which is a major constraint in redgram cultivated areas of Telangana,” as informed by an expert.

Prem Kumar Vislawath, co-founder of Marut Dronetech, told the newspaper, “Our drone technology provides the option of spraying according to the pests’ active hours, the ability to respond immediately with detection of pests, and the flexibility to spray according to changing weather conditions. The solution enables a precise and uniform coverage of the entire plot.”