Pivotal Role of Drones in Agriculture – a Review
C. Bala Vivin Sundar *
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India.
M. Asokhan
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Indian agriculture is currently undergoing a drastic drift towards mechanization and usage of modern-day Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools as a subsidiary to the mighty work carried over by the farmers in their respective fields to serve millions of people with food. Owing to the various efforts taken by agricultural scientists and scholars, the scope of Artificial Intelligence has also influenced agriculture and is finding solutions to the modern-day problems in agriculture such as labour scarcity, less productivity and other such consequences. One important component using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), popularly called Drones and their applications in agriculture. Even the union as well as the state governments of India are focussing on providing drones to the farmers as a part of fostering the concept of Sustainable Agriculture. This article reviews the various spheres where drones can be utilized and the statistics as well as the benefits of using drones in agriculture.
Keywords: Unmanned aerial vehicles, agriculture, benefits, regulations, policies