Drones in farming makes waves, help reduce water use and increase yields | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Use of drones in agriculture is making waves in Karnataka, with a study revealing a huge increase in crop yields while slashing water used to spray agrochemicals by up to 90%.Breakthrough research, by University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, marks a pioneering step in using drones for farming, especially for crops like finger millet (ragi) and pigeon pea (tur dal). In a first, UAS has validated standard operating procedure (SOP) on use of drones for these crops. Tests were conducted across 10 districts in southern Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Kolar, Hassan, and Mandya. The project, funded by the university, ran from 2023 to 2025 and provided insights into how drone technology can optimise farming practices.SV Suresha, vice-chancellor, UAS, emphasised the role of drones in addressing a growing challenge of labour shortage in rural areas. “Migration from villages to cities has resulted in a shortage of labourers, paving the way for mechanisation. Drones are the best possible solution. It can cover large areas in a short time,” he said.The study led by Mudalagiriyappa, chief scientist, UAS dryland agriculture project, introduced a detailed SOP for drone operations, including parameters such as spray height, volume, timing, and types of agrochemicals used. “The SOP includes spray parameters for different chemicals like nutrients, pulse magic, 1% potassium nitrate and fungicides,” he said.Drones drastically reduced water consumption in agrochemical spraying. Mudalagiriyappa said the volume of water needed has dropped from 500 litres per hectare in manual methods to just 55 litres — a nearly 90% reduction. In terms of crop yield, the results are equally impressive: Ragi saw a 5% increase in yield, while tur dal recorded a 10% rise.BA Anand, from the department of farm machinery and power engineering, highlighted the uniqueness of the study’s localised approach. “The university developed its own SOP, which is different from the one issued by the Centre,” Anand said. “We included discharge rates and height of spray at different stages of the crops. The height was measured from nozzles, which were selected after testing two variants.”Field trials included various varieties of ragi and tur dal, grown under different soil and climatic conditions. The study also addressed challenges such as minimising spray drift and lodging effects, where stems bend under chemical application. Trials were conducted across six plots of 25sqm each at 10 research centres, with buffer areas to prevent contamination. Beyond the boost in yield, the research also pointed to environmental benefits, reducing the hazardous impact of agrochemicals on humans and livestock.