Drones for Agriculture

1. Drone equipment hovers and sprays pesticides on the fruit garden of farmers in Song Ray commune (Cam My district).

Based on the fact that manual spraying with a hose is both time-consuming and difficult to reach tall tree canopies, in early 2022, Mr. Duc and members of the 9 Duc Durian Cooperative proactively invested in specialized drone equipment for production. Initially, the cooperative was only equipped with one drone to spray pesticides on popular fruit trees such as jackfruit and durian. After evaluating the effectiveness, the members continued to invest in another drone to meet the needs of caring for banana gardens and some other crops such as rambutan, corn, rubber, etc.

2. To transport the drone to the garden, farmers must use a truck carrying the drone and a specialized charger.

Mr. Tran Van Duc said that applying flying technology to production brings many obvious benefits. Previously, each time spraying pesticides was very difficult, requiring climbing and moving a lot but still not ensuring even coverage of the plants. Now with drone equipment, the operator only needs to set the flight path and spray mode, the machine will automatically operate, much more efficient and safer. Not only that, the operating time only takes 15-20 minutes to spray an area of about 15 hectares.

3. While one member is in charge of mixing the medicine, the other member takes the opportunity to prepare the mobile charging station and charge the drone's battery. Each battery only provides about 5 minutes of flight time.

The price of a drone is about 390 million VND/unit. According to Mr. Duc, investing in a drone spraying device is a relatively large expense, but this investment is completely worth it considering the efficiency and productivity it brings. Drones help farmers save a significant amount of time, effort and labor costs; at the same time, spraying pesticides evenly and accurately, limiting waste and improving the effectiveness of pest control; limiting direct contact with toxic chemicals for workers. This is a step in line with the digital transformation trend in agricultural development.

4. Once the drone has been thoroughly inspected, the farmer injects the pesticide into the drone’s tank. This step requires careful attention to ensure that the solution does not spill, is in the correct dosage, and is consistent with the flight program.

5. The most difficult and important step is that farmers must accurately set the coordinates, height and spray range to ensure that pesticides cover the entire garden evenly and effectively.