How agri drones are helping to manage the world’s food supply
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The use of drones by Europe’s agriculture industry is set to grow rapidly as new technology capable of precise and targeted crop spraying comes on stream. Adrian Pennington reports
Regulations around health and safety, the spraying of chemicals and use of airspace has traditionally restricted drone usage across Europe, but that looks set to change as new types of drone and detailed data about their operations are being advanced.
According to Karoly Ludvigh, chief executive of Hungarian drone developer ABZ Innovation, pressures are growing on the agriculture industry to meet growing demand to feed the world’s population in a way that reduces the effects of intensive farming on the climate, and drones look set to play a key part in this evolution.
“Drones will not replace all heavy farm machinery, but we believe that they will play a substantial role in the sustainable future of agriculture,” he says.
According to PwC, in its 2022 report Skies Without Limits, drones are faster than conventional machinery, reduce waste, make better use of land, are better for the environment and improve overall crop yield.
“The ultimate vision for drone use in agriculture is for systems to scan, weed and feed,” the report concluded. “That is, to utilise drones at every stage of a crop lifecycle to bring automation and efficiencies.”