Drone 101- Their Use in Agriculture, Govt Schemes & More

Drones have quickly entered the Indian market. The Ministry of Civil Aviation only liberalized the Drones Use Policy in August 2021, allowing certain types of Drones to fly without prior permission. Following that, the Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of drones in pesticide spraying on agricultural fields.

Cut to February 2022, when these unmanned aerial vehicles were specifically mentioned in the Union Budget 2022-23. Furthermore, as part of the 'Drone Kisan Yantra,' Prime Minister Modi flagged 100 Kisan drones this year.

What Are the Applications of Drones in Agriculture?

Most people think of drones as data collection devices with sensors like cameras and LIDAR mounted on them for crop assessment and land record digitization; however, drones can be used for much more. The use of the Kisan drone as a pesticide sprayer is one excellent example (a.k.a. flying sprayer). These drones have tanks that can hold up to 5 - 10 kg of insecticides and liquid fertilizers.

Furthermore, drones save a significant amount of time and effort because they can spray insecticides on approximately 1 acre of land in just 15 minutes.

Agriculture Drone Price in India 

An agricultural drone that uses Internet-based smart technology to operate and performs precision farm activities such as spraying and crop health monitoring can cost between 5 lakh and 10 lakh rupees. Drone services are initially costly. It will eventually become cheaper due to massive economies of scale. We must also consider the cost of human health in manual versus drone spraying.

Government Initiative to Include Drones in Agriculture 

The government has also set aside Rs 6,000 per acre as a contingency fund for implementing agencies that do not wish to purchase drones but instead wish to hire them for demonstrations.

"The implementing agencies' contingency expenditure for drone demonstrations would be capped at Rs 3,000 per acre. These grants for the promotion of drone technologies will be available until March 31, 2023," as per officials’ statement.

Special funding will also be provided to drone hiring centers to provide agricultural services using drones. This includes 40% of the basic cost of the drone and its accessories, or Rs 4 lakh, whichever is less.

Standard Operating Procedure for Using Drones 

The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) outlining the instructions, provisions, and requirements for drones, drone pilots, and drone operators to follow during an aerial insecticide spraying operation.

The provisions of this SOP will specify the insecticide classes that are permitted for aerial spraying. The aerial spraying of insecticides using drones will be subject to additional provisions under the Insecticides Rules 1971. Some of the most important provisions are as follows:

• The drone operator should mark the area for insecticide spraying before the flight.
• Only insecticides that have been approved for use may be used.
• The operators must provide washing, decontamination, and first-aid facilities.
• Animals or individuals unrelated to the operation must be prohibited from entering the operation premises for a set period.
• Insecticide specialization training, including clinical effects of the insecticides, is required for drone pilots.

Also Read: Everything You Should Know About Drone Pilot Training Programs Available In India