Knowledge Gain of Farmers in Drone Applications in Agriculture through Demonstrations

Chemical pesticides are often used to protect crops from pest and disease outbreaks to increase crop yield. Drone spraying helps in mass spraying during severe pest and disease outbreaks. The present study focused on knowledge gain regarding drone applications in agriculture, conducted in the Cuddalore district in 2024. By using simple random and purposive sampling methods, 120 demo farmers were selected from 16 villages in four blocks of Cuddalore district. Through the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Cuddalore conducted trainings and demonstrations in different field crops covering an area of 500 acres, along with Department officials, during 2022-2024.Knowledge level and Knowledge gain percentage formulae were used to analyze the recorded data. The study inferred that the percentage of knowledge possessed by the area farmers was higher for the spraying of fertilizers and agrochemicals, followed by irrigation scheduling of crops and sowing and planting using drone applications. The highest knowledge gain percentage was recorded for pest and disease monitoring (71.67), sowing and planting (71.17), nutrient disorders (67.83), and irrigation scheduling of crops (63.33), as the farmers in the study area were not aware that drones can be utilized for these purposes. The primary constraints faced by farmers in adopting drone technology in agriculture were High cost, Lack of Knowledge and skills, Internet connectivity issues, Scarcity of Trained Pilots, and Techno-Economic Feasibility. Farmers expressed a positive attitude towards the efficiency and precision of drones in reducing labour and time spent on manual tasks in farming operations. However, challenges need to be overcome by government initiatives and schemes to enhance the acceptance and application of drones for sustained farming and rural livelihoods.