Jasmine farmers in Sathyamangalam, Erode district, are being encouraged to use drones to spray pesticides over their fields, as this is both effective and reduces costs.
A team of professors and students from the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology in Sathyamangalam conducted a field study to spray insecticides/fertilizers in jasmine fields using drone technology. The team conducted several field trials, before finalising a standard operating procedure as well as the insecticide/water ratio needed for jasmine fields. The study reveals that the usage of drones in agri-fields is advantageous in the localized application of insecticides on jasmine leaves. Drone spraying solves the labour issue and reduces both the cost and time taken, compared to manual spraying.
The drones used for the trial run had 10 litre-capacities and could fly continuously for half an hour.
