Importance And Guidelines for Application of Pesticides with Drones in Indian Agriculture

DRONE: A TECHNOLOGICAL CONCEPT

It is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which can be operated either via the use of a remote control or fly autonomously using software as its controlled flight path in its embedded system.

Drones are now graded as invaluable assets in agricultural operations by streamlining processes and optimizing resource allocation for proactive pest strategies and early detection of crop condition. Drones facilitate in precise application of resources like water, fertilizers and pesticides, thereby reducing waste, maximize labor costs and increase operations efficiency. Drones offer a cost -effective alternative to traditional methods of field application of agri-inputs.

UTILITY OF DRONES IN AGRICULTURE

Currently, the applications in agriculture, plant protection, aerial photography, micro selfie, express transportation, disaster rescue, wildlife observation, monitoring infectious diseases, mapping, news reporting, power inspection, disaster relief, film and television shooting, etc. have greatly expanded the use of drones themselves.

However, the application of the drones in agricultural operations can be broadly classified:

• In manual application, drones can be fitted with tanks and sprays which can be used to deploy fertilizers or pesticides in a field from a safe distance, thus reducing the labour costs and also safeguarding the farmers.

  
  

• Analytical application involves land survey and data collection. Multispectral cameras on drones capture detailed data on various agricultural indices, including the near difference vegetation index, canopy Temperature difference and leaf area index, thus offering valuable insights into multiple aspects of crop health, growth patterns, irrigation needs, and soil fertility.

STATUS OF DRONES IN INDIA

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has developed the digital Sky Platform which provides a single window for drone registration for users and manufacturers alike. DGCA has also provided the curriculum for drone pilot training - for pesticides and fertilizers.

Weather conditions play a pivotal role where temperature degree (C), Humidity (%), wind speed (m/s) has been specified. Precautions during rainy seasons and visibility during fog/ mist are other major considerations during spraying pesticides by drones. Importance on use of nozzles has also been clearly defined. Buffer Zones have been created especially keeping in view non target crops and water bodies.

WOMEN SELF-HELP GROUPS (SHG)

Government of India has created 500 women Self-Help Groups (SHG) to operate drone initially financed by Coromandel International Ltd. and IFFCO to spray liquid fertilizers. These women have been given 15 days training as pilots to become self-sustaining in use of drones, subsequently for pesticides as well.

Government has ambitious plan to make available 15,000 drones, (14,500 drones at Rs 8 lakhs subsidy) with balance Rs 2 lakh loan at the rate of 6% repayable in 4 years. The budget allocation is Rs. 1,261 Cr. including training, insurance and associated expenses. 

Keeping the logistics, five ministries mainly Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Rural Development have been involved in this project.

PSUs of Government of India and state level committees would be the inspecting agencies besides ICAR, KVKs and DARE. 

Several clusters of crops have been selected where dealers / retailers and companies, could pool in supplying pesticides at nominal discount to make the operations viable for SHGs. The corporates are to choose SHGs in their area of interest for mutual benefit. Presentably no imports of drones are permissible, but SKD & assembly of drones indigenously is allowed.

Self Help Group under ″Namo Drone Didi″ Scheme is located in states mentioned:

Andhra Pradesh - (96), Karnataka - (82), Telangana - (72), Madhya Pradesh - (34), Uttar Pradesh - (32), Maharashtra - (30), Punjab - (23), Haryana - (22), Rajasthan - (19), Gujarat - (18), Tamil Nadu - (17), Chhattisgarh - (12), Odisha - (12), Assam - (9), West Bengal - (7), Bihar- (5), Himachal Pradesh - (4), Uttarakhand - (3), Kerala - (2), Jharkhand - (1).

ROLE OF CCFI MEMBERS IN CONDUCTING DEMONSTRATION 

Our members have initiated trials and demonstrated with approved pesticides on crop of economic importance like- cotton, paddy, vegetables, Pigeonpea etc. all across the country. Among the major companies are Meghmani Organics Ltd., Insecticides (India) Limited, DCM Shriram Limited, Parijat Industries (India) Pvt. Ltd., Coromandel International Ltd., IFFCO, UPL etc.

 DCM Shriram Limited has sprayed on sugarcane both liquid fertilizers and approved pesticides with proven results. However, for commercial viability the farmers would have to be given subsidy by government and corporates. The estimated cost of drone application through hired drone operators is Rs. 600 per acre, besides cost of pesticides estimated at Rs. 500 per acre. It was observed that drone could cover 15-20 acres per day as against 2-3 acres by knapsack sprayers, at best 5 acres per day using power sprayers.

It would be pertinent to mention that agrochemical industry played a vital role in controlling migration of Locust swarms from the west to enter India by both aerial and ground operations during January 2020.

Campaign carried out in desert areas of Jaiselmer in Rajasthan state for controlling locusts during January 2020

IMPORTANCE IN AGRICULTURE

Modern crop production and management for sustainable and profitable agriculture requires an early information system to know about crop health condition. Similarly, the quick response to address the undesirable damages caused by biotic and abiotic stresses is important to minimize the losses. Labour shortage and increased input cost of crop production is another challenge that needs to be addressed immediately, so judicious use of inputs by precision methods of applications is need of the hour. Drones can effectively be used for application of crop inputs (Plant protectants and crop nutrients). Aerial spraying using drones save huge time and labour required and thus, allows large areas to be treated within a very short period. Spraying through drones can be carried out when field conditions prevent movement of man and ground machines. It enables the timeliness of spray treatments without inflicting soil compaction.

Furthermore, in order to maximize the crop production from the minimum crop inputs under prevailing climatic conditions, need-based, location specific technologies are required. To make drone spraying technology feasible and popular, optimum bioefficacy and no phytotoxicity must be ensured. 

Thus, to widen the scope of drone assisted pesticide application for different crops grown, SOPs have been finalized by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare taking into considerations the relevant parameters like temperature, humidity, wind speed, terrain conditions and crop as well as other environmental parameters.

The methodology involved scientific deliberations and information collection through online survey schedules. The information was systematically arranged and classified both crop and pesticide wise. Overall, the information was collated for ten major crops viz. rice, maize, cotton, groundnut, pigeon pea, safflower, sesame, soybean, sugarcane and wheat.

The crop specific SOPs mostly focused on crop canopy volume, crop growth stages, pesticide concentration, dosage, water volume per hectare, drone height above crop canopy, flight speed and spray discharge rate.

They considered a standard drone with tank capacity of 10 litres and overall drone weight less than 25 kg. The height of the drone above the crop canopy is related to overall weight of the drone, downwash effect over the crop canopy and sprayer characteristics. The drone has to fly near the crop canopy as much as possible to avoid drift during operation and to safeguard the environment. However, the drone should maintain a vertical clearance above the crop, while flying, so that the thrust created by the former should not lead to lodging of the latter. Therefore, operation at optimum height is important. Similarly, the drone flight speed affects the uniformity of spray and needs to be optimized. 

The crop wise list of pesticide molecules tested for phytotoxicity (crop safety) using drones:

PRECAUTIONS FOR PEST MANAGEMENT IN CROPS

• Do not spray if there is forecast of heavy rains in next 1-2 days

• Avoid broad- spectrum insecticides when a narrow – spectrum or more specific insecticides will work. Preferably use green labeled insecticides.

• Avoid repeated usage of the same insecticide, insecticides of the same chemical class, or insecticides in different classes with similar mode of action and rotate/ alternate insecticide classes and having different modes of action.

• Insecticides should be used judiciously after observing the crop condition.

• No herbicides have been recommended.

DISADVANTAGES ASSOCIATED WITH DRONE SPRAYING

• High wind speed and temperature inversion may limit treatment application whilst trees, waterways, environmental considerations and overhead power lines may also prevent some fields from being treated.

• Volatility and spray drift are problems associated with drone spraying which can lead to environmental contamination, if spraying is incorrectly executed.

• Also, unsafe piloting of drones may cause security concerns to the operators and others.

• Presently in India battery charging points are major impediments in undertaking continuous spray operations.

• Transportation of drones from one site to another is an issue in rural areas.

USE OF DRONES OTHER THAN AGRICULTURE

There are several uses though it may take time to implement them in India

1. Power inspection

2. Traffic movement 

3. Environmental Monitoring

4. Confirmation of rights of land in disputes 

5. Agricultural Insurance

6. Express timely response 

7. Post-disaster rescue

8. Remote sensing surveying and mapping

9. Forest, industrial and residential fire protection

10. Street view shooting

11. Filming of movies, weddings etc.

The drones have proved their efficacy and are expected to be major backbone for agricultural operations in near future.

This story was initially published in the 2024 India Focus. Download the magazine to read more stories.

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