Sugarcane is Brazilian crop that most uses drones for applying agrochemicals

By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages

Drones are a reality in the cultivation of Brazilian crops and have been a promising tool for spraying agrochemicals.

According to agronomist Ulisses Antuniassi, sugarcane is the agricultural crop that most uses unmanned aerial vehicles for the application of pesticides in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil.

“It is just a matter of time before this method of using drones for spraying will also take hold in Mato Grosso [the largest soy-producing state in Brazil]. These technologies are here to stay and are already a reality in many agribusiness segments”, defends him, who is also a professor and researcher at the São Paulo State University Júlio de Mesquita Filho (Unesp, in the state of São Paulo).

According to Antuniassi, who is one of the leading experts of agrochemical application technologies in Brazil, the producer and the work team must pay attention, before any decision, to analyze the use and interpretation of images captured by drones in a thorough manner and with specialized preparations to ensure the productive potential of the crop.

“Image analysis is a tool that relies on robust methods of statistical analysis, geostatistics and mathematical modeling. Simple observations about sowing errors, failures, phytotoxicity and crop stains (weeds, pests and diseases) can be obtained by conventional imaging. However, deeper analyses, which make it possible to estimate productivity, depend on elaborated images and different remote sensing tools,” the researcher explained.

On the challenges of applications with agricultural aircraft and drones, the results show that the problem of drift exists and needs to be considered. Just as, in some cases, there are problems with uniformity of deposition. “The drift needs to be understood and controlled so that we can make the correct and safe use of these technologies. For that, we must implement all the concepts of best practices in the applications,” Antuniassi recommended.

The size of the sprayer droplet, the application rate, the weather conditions, the indication and recommendation for the use of the product described in the package inserts are some of the factors that must be considered before deciding on the use of pesticides. These are items that will interfere with the final result, regardless of whether the application is on land or area.

“It is a known fact that in agriculture the entire system interferes, so adjustments are required to obtain the expected responses from the techniques and products, as well as the reduction of losses in farming and a reduction in the environmental impact,” the researcher said in conclusion.

The results of the research with agricultural defensives showed promising data regarding its use in the total area, mainly in soybean and corn cultures, in substitution to the application in conventional aerial spraying, with less drift potential and greater versatility in the work. The information pointed out aspects of quality and safety in the applications of agricultural pesticides, through the use of drones.