Brazil imported more than 8,000 spraying drones over past 3 years

Over the past decade, agriculture has witnessed a technological revolution that is transforming the way crops are managed and harvested. 

One of the most notable advances is the rising use of drones in crop management. According to data obtained by the Single Foreign Trade Portal Program (Portal Siscomex) more than 8,000 spraying drones were imported between 2020 and 2023 alone. 

According to data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), Brazil has a record 2,500 remotely piloted aerial vehicles. In turn, the National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies (Sindag) estimated that by 2026, this number will grow to more than 90,000.

Drones are generally used in Brazil to monitor crops, collect data and even guide livestock. However, the exponential growth in the use of drones for spraying is also notable. The conventional process is carried out by tractors or manned aircraft. However, these traditional methods have some limitations, such as difficulty in accessing rough terrain and the strong influence of weather conditions on the quality of applications.

Leonardo Luvezuti, agronomist and business director at Perfect Flight, a Brazilian agtech that offers tracking services for aerial pesticide applications, said that the advent of drones equipped with spray management systems has simplified and facilitated the process. ″Drones, which have precise spraying systems, allow for the more uniform and controlled application of pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs,″ he said. 

According to Luvezuti, the ability of drones to fly over irregular and difficult-to-access terrain, combined with aerial application monitoring systems, ″guarantees high-quality coverage.″

He added that the application of pesticides carried out by drones significantly reduces the necessary amount of inputs, saving financial resources. ″This innovative technology is not only simplifying the pesticide application process, but it is also bringing significant benefits to agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability,″ he said.

Luvezuti listed the main benefits for producers wishing to invest in the technology:

• Efficiency even in different areas: Drones can spray areas with different characteristics (relief, presence of preservation areas, and barriers to other forms of application), but always with the same efficiency, which naturally generates, in addition to efficiency, more operational savings.

• Reduced need for labor: The equipment can be operated by just one person, reducing the risk of human errors and the exposure of operators to toxic products.
  

• Reduction in soil compaction and damage to plants: Drones do not cause soil compaction or damage from crushing or uprooting plants, unlike terrestrial applications.
  

• Ideal for specific use in some crops: At an advanced stage of development such as sugar cane limit the entry of certain machines due to the height of plants. By using drones, such problems are solved.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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