Most farmers find it difficult to distribute chemicals evenly using traditional spraying methods. Also, the excessive spraying of pesticides leads to crop damage as well as severely impacts the environment.
This is why many farmers are now switching to pesticide spraying drones for more precise spraying.
Choosing the right agriculture drone for spraying pesticides is essential for practical use. Keep reading to learn how to use pesticide-spraying drones for different farm sizes. Let us get started!
The drone for spraying pesticides in India is an advanced agricultural tool that uses GPS, sensors and automated flight paths to distribute pesticides evenly over large areas in minutes.
This makes farming more cost-effective and efficient than traditional spraying methods.
Pesticide spraying drones help farmers by reducing chemical wastage and exposure to harmful chemicals.
Pesticide spraying drones have innovative features that make spraying more efficient than traditional methods.
Whether you have a small farm or a large field, knowing the key parts of a drone can help you choose the right one for your needs. Here is a simple breakdown of the main components.
You can choose a spraying drone with different tank capacities depending on the size of your farm. For a smaller farm of less than 50 acres, a 10 L tank capacity would be enough, while for larger farms of 500+ acres, you might need a 30-50 L tank capacity to reduce refill frequency.
Pesticide spraying drones ensure fine droplet formation or uniform spray coverage with flat-fan or air induction nozzles. It helps to reduce pesticide drift, especially on windy days.
Most drones fly for 15-30 minutes per charge. This duration can vary depending on the payload but is usually enough to cover several acres
Think of this as the drone's brain. It manages everything from flight stability to spray precision to ensure optimal coverage with little input.
The drones can spray precisely where required with the help of advanced positioning technologies. It will provide precision down to the centimetre with no overlap or misses.
The types of pesticide-spraying drones are as follows!
Fixed-Wing
Multi-Rotor
Hybrid
There are many benefits to using drones for pesticide spraying. Let us look at some of them here!
There is no denying that manual pesticide spraying takes more time. It takes around 4 hours on average to spray just one acre, but the coverage is not always consistent. That is where pesticide spraying drones are very helpful.
Farmers can spray an entire acre in 5 to 10 minutes, which is a great time saver. Consider how much more ground you can cover in a day with the help of drones.
It is about reduced labour and makes you respond more quickly during pest outbreaks for better crop protection and higher yields with much less effort.
Manual spraying is more like guesswork because you will never be sure if every part of the field is getting the right amount of pesticide.
This is where drones with GPS & smart mapping can target specific areas that need to be addressed rather than spraying the whole field randomly. This means there is no overspray on healthy zones or missing out on pest-prone areas.
According to a study by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, precision spraying can reduce pesticide use by 50%.
There will be better crop protection or healthier yields when the fertiliser is evenly distributed. You can also save on pesticide costs by avoiding waste.
Using drones for pesticide spraying is not just innovative but also cost-effective. Traditional spraying methods' labour costs can be anywhere between ₹400-₹600 per acre for crops like sugarcane.
However, the cost of spraying an acre with drones is around ₹400 with precision. Drones are even more cost-effective than traditional methods by reducing pesticide use by about 30-40%, which saves as much as ₹1000 per acre.
Chemical use in field crops can also be reduced by around 50%. Drones can initially seem expensive, but they save more money in the long run than traditional spraying methods.
One of the most significant advantages of pesticide-spraying drones is their low environmental impact. Traditional spraying methods often lead to pesticide runoff, harming soil or some beneficial insects.
Drones will spray only where needed to reduce excessive use and prevent harmful runoff. This means cleaner soil as well as a healthier ecosystem.
Crops absorb just the right amount because of the drone's precise application to reduce chemical residue. That is excellent news for your consumers who want cleaner or safer food on their plates.
Traditional pesticide spraying methods expose farmers to harsh chemicals without proper protection. That exposure can lead to serious health problems over time. However, using drones for pesticide spraying can reduce this danger significantly.
Farmers can now operate the drone safely as the spraying process is remote-controlled. This helps farmers to reduce coming in direct contact with the chemicals. The exposure is almost negligible, which is safe for farmers and the people around the fields.
The best pesticide-spraying drone for your farm will depend on its size or specific requirements. Let us look at some of the types of pesticide-spraying drones for different farm sizes!
Best drones for small farms- Leher drones
The coverage per flight will be 5-10 acres. Leher drones are best for targeted spraying or speciality crops.
Small farms will need precision, and Leher drones are perfect for spraying small plots without waste.
Best drones for medium farms- Leher drones, DJI Agras T30
The coverage per flight will be 10-30 acres. Drones are ideal for row crops or Orchards.
Drones can adapt to various crop varieties to cover medium-sized fields effectively due to their higher capacity.
Best drones for large farms- Leher drones, XAG P100
The coverage per flight will be 30+ acres. Drones are perfect for mass spraying or industrial agriculture.
These powerful drones can handle large-scale spraying more effortlessly. It reduces labour and increases efficiency across vast fields.
Choosing the correct pesticide spraying drone for your farm's requirements is more critical than just considering size. Here are some other factors you should consider when selecting a drone!
Pesticide spraying drone price is a crucial factor, but it is not always about finding the cheapest drones. Considering the long term is equally important. Think about how much money you will save on pesticide usage or labour.
Spending a little extra on a high-quality drone will pay off with lower spraying costs per acre in the long run. Find a drone that provides real value and yields a solid return on your investment.
Flight time matters when spraying large areas. It is as simple as the longer your drone flies, the more acres it can cover with fewer breaks. This is why drones with quick-swap batteries are a good choice.
You won't have to waste a second of your spraying schedule since you can switch the battery to return to work quickly.
Tank capacity & flow rate should be an essential consideration. When choosing the one with a large tank capacity, there will be less frequent refills, which will help with an even distribution of pesticides.
One thing often overlooked is whether your drone is compatible with your service provider.
When everything syncs from maintenance support to flight logs, day-to-day operations are way smoother. You can expect fewer delays and quicker turnaround times on spraying tasks.
Choose a drone with solid service support and easy maintenance. This helps you reduce downtime and keeps you spraying without any interruptions.
Let us explore a step-by-step guide on how to use pesticide-spraying drones for different farm sizes!
Monitor the weather conditions before taking off. It is necessary to calibrate the drone and nozzles for precise spraying. You can prevent unpleasant surprises in mid-flight by checking battery levels before takeoff.
You can plan your farm's spraying layout with the help of GPS & AI software. This prevents overlap with complete coverage. You can adjust the flight altitude depending on your crops for even distribution.
You can avoid the overuse of pesticides by choosing the correct concentration. Smaller droplets are used for fine coverage, whereas larger droplets reduce drift in windy conditions.
Choose between automatic or manual flying controls. Automation is best for large areas, while manual control works well for precision spraying. You can adjust the flight speed based on crop density to ensure proper absorption.
Are you thinking about buying a pesticide-spraying drone? Let us explore it in more detail here for a clear understanding!
The upfront cost might seem high, but the long-term savings and efficiency gains make it worth it. Pesticide spraying drones help you significantly lower pesticide waste and labour costs.
Here is a simple calculation. A drone can cover 1500-2500 acres annually, bringing in ₹4.5+ lakhs in revenue. This results in a payback period of just 1.5-2 years, which makes it a wise long-term investment.
Here is the best part: even if you are a small farmer on a tight budget, you don't need to buy drones. Instead, you can rent with a reliable partner.
Leher is widely known as a trusted drone partner in India. With Leher, you can easily access advanced pesticide drone spraying at a reasonable renting option without actually buying it.
Experience the many benefits of a pesticide spraying drone for your farm by partnering with Leher today!
Pesticide-spraying drones can transform how you protect your crops, no matter the size of your farm.
Small farms can benefit from drones' precision and reduced labour for pesticide spraying. Meanwhile, large farms can save more money in the long run.
However, all these benefits are only possible when choosing the right drone for your farm. Find the right pesticide spraying drone for your farm to improve your crop health significantly!
