Dr. Banarsi Lal
Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is endowed with ample natural resources including soil, water, climatic conditions, diversity, topography, rich natural flora etc. which are conducive for the cultivation of a wide range of crops. High mountains and small hills, snow peaks, rivers and rivulets, glaciers, valleys and lakes, large forest areas, terraced fields and bugyals are the integral features of hilly areas of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir lies in the North West of the country. Jammu and Kashmir is located between 32.17 and 37.06 North latitude and 73.2 and 80.36 East longitude in the Himalayan region. About 19.95% of the total geographical area of J&K is covered under forests. Jammu and Kashmir is a mountainous Union Territory in which about 30 per cent of the area is under cultivation. The agro-diversity of J&K varies from sub-tropical in Jammu region and temperate in Kashmir region. The average annual rainfall of these two regions is 1069mm and 660mm respectively. The average temperatures of these two regions are 24.5 and 13.3 Centigrade respectively. About 58 per cent area in J&K is under agriculture is rainfed and remaining 42 per cent is irrigated. Maize is first rank crop in J&K occupying one-third of the total cropped area, paddy at number second in 28.58 per cent area of gross cropped area and wheat at number three which covers around 26 per cent of the total cropped area. There is need to increase the income and employment in agriculture and allied sectors for the farmers in J&K. There is possibility to increase the production and productivity of the crops and to enable the farmers to increase their income and employment by adopting the new innovations in agriculture and establishing the infrastructure for the farm production. It is a serious concern that the interest of younger generation in J&K is dwindling towards agriculture.
Govt. has introduced the drone technology in the agricultural sector in the Union Territory of J&K to help the farmers and increase their crop production and productivity. This technology helps to spray the chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides in the farms in an efficient and effective way. This technology can help to reduce the cost of cultivation, increase the crop production, increase economic profitability, reduce environmental pollution and attract rural youths towards agriculture in J&K.SKUAST-J & SKUAST-K along with the line departments are working on modernization of agriculture with the new agricultural innovations so as to raise the socio-economic status of the farmers. In this direction KVKs in J&K are playing the significant role in creating awareness and generating skills pertaining to drone technology. Using drones in agriculture will bring down the cost of cultivation by increasing the efficiency of the chemicals. The agriculture can be taken at the next level by the adoption of drone technology in J&K. Union Territory of J&K has about one lakh sixty thousand hectares area under horticulture and about 20 metric tones are fruits produced every year. The fruit production can be increased with the use of modern technologies. Drones are helpful to detect the infestation of insect-pests and diseases in plants and accordingly the chemicals can be sprayed to treat them. With the drone technology about 90 per cent of chemicals can be saved which further will help to save the farmers money and protect the environment. Generally about three hours are taken to spray one acre of land but with drone it can be covered with minutes and with minimum labour. Also the human contact with the chemicals is much lesser. This technology can give a new boost to agriculture in J&K as it is time saving, labour saving, fertilizers and pesticides saving. With the drone technology, the sprays can be done completely as it can reach easily on fruit plants. Demonstrations on drone technology were done in different villages by the experts during the Viksit Bharat Campaign across the Union Territory of J&K. Farmers showed keen interest in the technology as this technology saves the resources, enhances fertilizer use efficiency and sprays uniformly. Various nano-based fertilizers, neem based pesticides, bio-fertilizers etc. can be applied through drone technology. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Reasi also promoted drone technology in rural areas during the Viksit Bharat Campaign and also trained the farmers on drone technology in certain pockets of Reasi distt. of J&K.NAMO Drone Didi scheme will help to empower the rural women of J&K by imparting their skills.
Presently, we are using various tools and equipments and different varieties of technologies in agriculture. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) drone as “An aircraft without a human pilot aboard”. This definition encompasses a wide range of devices, from small toy drones to large military UAVs. The drone technology is playing the significant role in these techniques. Climate change is the major global issue of the present era and sometimes badly impacts the agriculture. In view of changing circumstances, introducing advanced changes in agriculture is becoming the need of the hour. The modern technologies in agriculture can prove to be a useful means of sustenance for the increasing population. The introduction of drone technology in modern farm operations has become an essential tool for farmers to manage their crops and enhance their farm income. In agriculture, drones are equipped with various sensors and imaging technology that provide farmers with valuable data and insights that help them to make timely decisions, leading to increase the crop production and decrease the input costs. This article explains the applications of drones in farm operations, the advantages of using drones, the challenges and limitations in drone technology and the future of drone technology in agriculture. The use of drone technology in agriculture has various advantages, including improved efficiency, sustainability and increased accuracy. Drones can cover a larger area in a shorter time and collect accurate data that enables farmers to identify the problems and take action to solve those problems. The use of drones can reduce the environmental impact of farming by the efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides.
There are also challenges and limitations that need to be addressed, including regulatory environments and costs. The cost of purchasing and operating drones can be prohibitive for small and marginal farmers. Despite these challenges, the future of drone technology in farm operations looking promising. As drone technology continues to advance and is expected to become even more valuable in precision farming, the use of drones is expected to lead to more sustainable farming practices, reducing the environmental impact on agriculture. The integration of drone technology in agriculture is a step towards the sustainable agriculture. The continued advancement of drone technology in farm operations is likely to have an important impact on the future farming. Drone technology has been one of the fastest-growing technolgies in recent years, with a wide range of applications across various industries. The rise of drone technology has also spurred as an important innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, sensor technology and battery technology.
Drones have become the significant tool in modern agricultural operations. Farmers are using drones to increase efficiency, reduce farm costs and improve crop yields. Drones equipped with cameras, sensors and other payloads can provide farmers with valuable data and insights that help them to increase the quality and quantity of their crops production. There is need to explore the importance of drone technology in farm operations and its impact on the agricultural sector. One of the most common applications of drones in agriculture is crop monitoring. Drones equipped with cameras, multispectral sensors and other advanced imaging technologies can capture high-resolution images of different crops, allowing farmers to identify areas that require attention, such as those affected by insect-pests and diseases. This can help farmers to take timely preventive measures. Drones can also be helpful to create high-resolution maps of crops, providing farmers with valuable insights into the health and growth of their crops. This can help farmers to identify areas with low or high yields, plan irrigation and fertilization strategies and optimize their overall crop management practices. Drones can also be useful for spraying of chemicals in crops, reducing the labor costs and also minimizing environmental impacts. Drones equipped with sprayers can apply pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, reducing the risk of over-application and minimizing chemical exposure for farmers. Drones can also be also be useful to monitor livestock, allowing farmers to track their movements, identify areas of low or high density and assess their overall health. Drones equipped with thermal cameras can detect changes in body temperature, which can help farmers to identify animals that require medical attention. It has been observed through research that drones equipped with thermal cameras were able to accurately detect and locate cattle with a 95% accuracy rate. Drones equipped with thermal sensors can also be used to monitor soil moisture levels and identify areas that require irrigation. This can help farmers to optimize their irrigation strategies, avoiding wastage of water and increase the crop yields. They can cover large areas of agricultural land in a short time thus reducing labour costs and increasing efficiency. It has been observed that that using drones for crop monitoring was 85% cheaper than using traditional methods. Drones can quickly and easily collect data on crop health, soil conditions and other important variables. This allows farmers to make informed decisions in real-time, optimizing their crop management strategies. It has observed that using drones for crop monitoring resulted in a 40% increase in crop yield. Drones can be equipped with a variety of sensors and cameras, allowing for highly accurate data collection. This data can be utilized to identify areas that require attention such as those with poor soil moisture or pests or diseases infestations. It has been observed through the study that drones equipped with hyperspectral sensors were able to accurately detect crop diseases with an accuracy rate of over 95%.
Drones can be used to monitor crops and livestock from a safe distance, reducing the risk of injury to the workers. They can be helpful to reduce the environmental impact of farming by optimizing crop management practices and reducing the use of harmful chemicals. They have numerous advantages over traditional methods of crop monitoring and management, including cost-effectiveness, improved efficiency, accurate data collection, safety and environmental benefits. Drones have a limited flight time and range, which can limit their usefulness in large-scale farming operations. Drones are highly dependent on weather conditions, particularly wind speed and direction. High winds can make it difficult to fly a drone safely and rain and fog can limit visibility. They have a limited payload capacity, which can limit the number and type of sensors and cameras that can be carried. This can limit their ability to gather certain types of data. The use of drones in agriculture is subject to a range of legal and regulatory issues, particularly in terms of airspace regulations and privacy concerns. Drones are expected to have a significant impact on precision agriculture in J&K. As drones become more advanced and are equipped with more sensors and imaging technology, they will be able to provide farmers with even more detailed data about their crops. This data can be used to make more informed decisions about planting, fertilization and pest and diseases control, leading to increase in yield and decrease in farm cost. Currently, most drones require a human operator to control them, which can be time-consuming and expensive. However, as autonomous technology continues to advance, it is likely that drones will become more autonomous and require less human intervention. The use of drones in agriculture is also expected to increase sustainability. The future of drone technology in agricultural sector looks promising. As drone technology continues to advance, it is expected that they will become even more valuable in precision agriculture as well as in autonomous systems.
(The writer is Chief Scientist & Head of KVK, Reasi SKUAST-Jammu).
