Flocks of migratory and residents birds fluttering around and foraging in vast swathes of paddy fields are a common sight in Kuttanad. Paddy farmers in the region use scarecrows and firecrackers among other ways to keep unwelcome birds away during the crop-growing period.
That said, another winged guest, a relatively new entrant in the rice bowl of Kerala, hovering 1.5 metres over rice plants and releasing precise doses of secondary nutrients, micronutrients, and biopesticides is lending a helping hand to the farmers.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) better known as drones are taking over fertilizer spraying in paddy fields in Kuttanad albeit gradually.
