RAJAT SHARMA

Agriculture and the allied sector proved to be the most resilient to the Covid-19 shock as it registered a growth of 3.6 per cent in 2020-21 and improved to 3.9 per cent in 2021-22, driving the overall Indian economy's real GDP expansion of 9.2 per cent in 2021-22, according to the Economic Survey 2021-22.

Stating that the agriculture sector has experienced buoyant growth in the past two years, the Economi  c Survey noted that the agriculture and allied sector is the largest employer of workforce as it accounted for a sizeable 18.8 per cent (2021-22) in Gross Value Added (GVA) of the country.

Growth in allied sectors including livestock, dairying and fisheries has been the major drivers of overall growth in the sector, and these are steadily emerging to be high growth sectors.

Our country is yet to enhance productivity and efficiency in the sector to reach the highest potential. Several dimensions and concerns need to be identified, supported, and equipped with resolutions. More suitable methods for monitoring crops, water irrigation, using pesticides, and many other necessary farming activities are required to be adopted. Resources are inadequate, not allotted according to weather conditions, or have not been exploited to their maximum potential—a reason why there is often a decline in the Return on Investment (ROI).

For India to double its farmer incomes there is an immediate need for the agricultural sector to adopt leading-edge digital and precision agriculture technologies to improve farm productivity and democratize access to market information for all farmers. Drones are one such technology that has the potential to revolutionize the farming industry through need-based precise and focused application of crop inputs that will directly enhance the input use efficiency and farmer safety whilst simultaneously lowering the overall costs. Many countries such as China, Japan, the ASEAN, the US and Brazil are making rapid strides in adopting drones for use in agriculture and have prioritized both regulatory and structural developments to accelerate the adoption of drones powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Drone technology has gotten most of the recognition in the industry because of its diversity and considered the future for the agrarian community. The military initially used them. However, other sectors quickly embraced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) when they learned about its widespread applications. Drones don't merely enhance overall performance but also encourage farmers to solve other assorted barriers and receive plenty of benefits through precision agriculture.

With the market for agricultural drones reaching a whopping $1.3 billion, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) fill the gap of human error and inefficiency by traditional farming methods. The purpose of adopting drone technology is to exclude any guesswork or ambiguity and instead focus on accurate and reliable information. External factors like weather, soil conditions, and temperature play a critical role in farming. Agriculture drone empowers the farmer to adapt to specific environments and make mindful choices accordingly. The gained data helps regulate crop health, crop treatment, crop scouting, irrigation, and carry out field soil analysis and crop damage assessments. The drone survey helps boost crop yields and minimize time and expenses.

According to experts, the predicted world population will be 9 billion by 2050. Agricultural consumption is also said to increase simultaneously by nearly 70%. Drone technology, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and remote sensing features, are rising in demand because of its advantages. The central government has acknowledged the importance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), machine learning, and artificial intelligence with their ‘Digital Sky Platform' online. Drone startups in India have used this opportunity to accomplish better technological capacities.

Only after complete recognition of drones characteristics can one gain in-depth knowledge about agriculture drones. Typically, drones include a navigation system, GPS, multiple sensors, high-quality cameras, programmable controllers, and tools for autonomous drones. Most farmers currently use satellite imagery as an introductory guide for farm management. Furnished with modern technology, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can get more precise data than satellites for precision agriculture. They then process the data captured into agri-tech software to produce beneficial knowledge

Precision agriculture is a way for farmers to maximize the efficiency of water, fertilizer and pesticides to improve overall productivity, quality, and yield.

There are several ways in which drones help farmers with agricultural challenges:

IRRIGATION MONITORING: Drones, including hyper spectral, thermal, or multispectral sensors, recognize areas that are too dry or need improvement by the farmer. Drone survey helps improve water efficiency and disclose potential pooling/leaks in irrigation by providing Irrigation monitoring yields calculations of the vegetation index to help realize the health of crops and emitted heat/energy.

AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING: Through drone crop spraying, human contact with such harmful chemicals is limited. Agri-drones can carry out this task much quicker than vehicles/airplanes. Drones with RGB sensors and multispectral sensors can precisely identify and treat problematic areas. Professionals say that aerial spraying is five times faster with drones when compared to other methods.

 CROP HEALTH MONITORING & SURVEILLANCE: It is crucial to track the health of the vegetation and spot bacterial/fungal plagues in the early stages. Agriculture drones can see which plants reflect different amounts of green light and Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) light. This data helps produce multispectral images to track crop health. Quick monitoring and discoveries of any defects can help save crops. In circumstances of crop failure, the farmer can also document the damages for accurate insurance claims.

CROP DAMAGE ASSESMENT: Agricultural drones fitted along with multispectral sensors and RGB sensors also detect field areas inflicted by weeds, infections, and pests. According to this data, the exact amounts of chemicals needed to fight these infestations are known, and this helps diminish the costs inflicted by the farmer.

FIELD SOIL ANALYSIS : The drone survey allows farmers to obtain information about their land's soil conditions. Multispectral sensors allow seizing data useful for seed planting patterns, thorough field soil analysis, irrigation, and nitrogen-level management. Precise Photogrammetric/ 3D mapping permits farmers to analyze their soil conditions thoroughly.

PLANTING: Drone startups in India have invented  drone-planting systems that allow drones to shoot pods, their seeds, and crucial nutrients into the soil. This technology doesn't only reduce costs by almost 85% but also increases consistency and efficiency.

 LIVESTOCK TRACKING – The drone survey allows the farmers not to keep track of their crops only but also monitor the movements of their cattle. Thermal sensor technology helps find lost animals and detect an injury or sickness. Drones can carry out this function favorably, and this adds comprehensively to the production of vegetation.

NEW SERVICE MODEL: Adoption of drones for data collection and application of agricultural inputs is likely to trigger new service models in which crop input companies may join drone operators and other value chain stakeholders to offer crop protection/nutrition as a service for a fee to farmers.

Agriculture Drone Technology is undoubtedly the future of the Indian Agrarian Community. It can transform traditional farming methods in uncountable ways. Even though this technology is more complex to be familiar with, it will yield its results in no time once learned. Farmers must understand the entire process. Determination of goals, creating an equilibrium in the drone and software utilized, and being familiar with the principles of using such technology will stand as a challenge. The farmers will inevitably need comprehensive training or partnerships with third-party experts in the drone industry for the acquisition of reliable data. Drones have changed the course of obtaining data in almost every type of industry, and will only deem to become bigger and better in the coming years.