Weeds collectively damage an average of 23.4% of winter wheat yields in Canada and the U.S. Undoubtedly, weeds persist as one of the most destructive problems for the U.S. agricultural sector.
Farmers purchase massive quantities of herbicides yearly for at least $25 billion. Nevertheless, a sizable portion of these pesticides never makes it to weeds. Instead, it falls on healthy plants or soil or is washed away by rain.
There needs to be more than the conventional spraying methods for today’s requirements. Therefore, the agriculture industry’s dependency on innovative spraying technologies is evident. However, intelligent spraying also needs to be planned and executed correctly.
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Real-time weed recognition is one of the most promising approaches to intelligent spraying. The use of computer vision and object detection in this procedure is essential.
Drones are surfacing as the most significant technology trend equipped with the potential to transform the contemporary agricultural sector. As a result, modern agriculture is incorporating drones with ease.
Drones may apply chemicals to specific plants or spread chemicals across vast fields with astonishing precision. Simply put, a drone can fly much closer to the areas.
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Using aerial views of the geography, scouting from above can help farmers better understand their land. They can use this to locate weed patches and escape routes.
“Instead of being able to only physically check a few areas in the field at infrequent levels, with something like a drone, it’s possible to check potentially larger areas more frequently,” informs a BASF official.
Compared to more conventional aerial application techniques like helicopters and airplanes, drones allow a more precise application and do away with the need for large, heavy ground rigs to travel over the field.
Drones can efficiently fly into tiny spaces and perform tasks that would be nearly impossible for a plane or other extensive equipment.
Drones are expected to be heavily valuable for weed management in the upcoming years. In the future, drones will likely undergo significant improvements, enhancing their productivity.