Drone technology in precision agriculture for insect pest management : A short review

Recently, crops cultivated in India have been threatened by invasive pests like fall army worm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in corn and Rugose spiraling whitefly in coconut (Aleurodicus rugiperculatous Martin); these pests caused extensive damage during the years 2018 and 2019. The plant protection measures are to be taken on a community basis so as to ensure effective management of pests. In India, more than 80% of farmlands are in the category of small and marginal (<1 ha), so it is very difficult to manage the invasive pests. Drones become indispensable in addressing this problem. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are used in a variety of fields, including defense, monitoring systems, and disaster relief, but their application in agricultural sciences is still in its infancy. Drones come in three main varieties: fixed-wing, multirotor, and hybrid. Which type is used depends on the application. Size, weight, power source, and automation level determine the other categories. It is necessary to optimize the specified operational parameters, such as flying speed, height, and endurance, in order to employ drones in agriculture and related industries. Furthermore, while putting drone-based mitigation measures into practice, consideration should be given to aspects associated with drone-based spraying, such as droplet size, spread, density, homogeneity, deposition, and penetrability. Despite the fact that drone technology is highly relevant and appropriate for pest management, the adoption of the technology is restricted. Regulatory guidelines have been set across the globe to perform site-specific farm management with higher precision at a very high resolution.