Drones will boost biological control in Brazil

More and more elaborate and accessible remote controlled “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” (UAV) are becoming very useful in precision agriculture and in many other agricultural monitoring and management activities.

“This technology based on artificial intelligence will enable the more precise management of agriculture per square meter and no longer per hectare, bringing efficiency, sustainability and profitability,” said Marcos Fava Neves (Director of the National Agriculture Society, SNA, and Professor at USP/Ribeirão Preto).

The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) currently has 77,197 registered drones, 29,596 of which are non-recreational. Of this total, 1,205 are classified as aeroagricultural vehicles.

In addition, the use of drones in biological control is increasing, and many companies are already investing in this sector.

Efficiency and safety

One of the major bottlenecks in biological control, according to entrepreneur Gustavo Scarpari (Agronomist and Founder of Sardrones), is technology used for applying biodefensives.

According to him, drones can become highly functional in an activity that poses risks to workers, who need to correctly apply pesticides on areas that are often inaccessible.

“Drones are able to do this job safely and efficiently. For example, during the bulk release of biological agents, there are vehicles capable of covering 600 hectares in just one day at high application quality,” Scarpari stressed, adding that UAVs are very efficient in covering sloping areas and growing vegetables, reaching places where planes or tractors cannot reach. "It is a great tool that is here to stay," Scarpari further added.

“Biological control is going to become more efficient in Brazil due to drones. I believe that all control in the future will be done only with these vehicles,” Scarpari noted, affirming that for producers, drones will create the possibility of utilizing biological control on a large scale.

Scenario

According to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA), a branch of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), of the 79,246 million hectares planted in Brazil, about 20 million hectares are treated with biodefensives, as stated by the biologicals industry.

Dunham Trimmer, a major research company focused on international organic agricultural markets, stressed that the segment is expected to generate over US$5 billion globally in 2020, a rise of $2 billion compared to the previous year. While the sector is growing in the order of 10% per year in other countries, in Brazil, the pace is even more accelerated, reaching more than 15%.

In 2019, CropLife Brasil estimated a market value of R$675 million, representing a growth of 31% compared to 2018. “In a coordinated manner, biodefensive companies are approaching producers to offer information and technical assistance. This will increase interest in biological solutions,” explained Amália Borsari (Executive Director of Biologicals at CropLife Brasil).

The original Portuguese version of this report is from SNA.