In Russia, they plan to entrust the processing of fields to drones

Experiment on the use of agricultural drones will last three years

The Ministry of Economic Development proposes to use unmanned aerial systems for processing farmland. The other day, the department submitted for public discussion a draft of the corresponding decree of the Russian government.

As it became known to MK, the experiment is proposed to be carried out in the territories of the Altai, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Rostov, Belgorod, Samara, Novosibirsk and Nizhny Novgorod regions, as well as in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Today, the treatment of fields with pesticides and agrochemicals is carried out in three ways: with the help of ground equipment, manned aircraft, and also using manual sprayers. All three methods have their drawbacks. Ground equipment damages plants, in addition, not all crops can be processed with it, for example, rice fields are pollinated only with the help of aviation. And this technique cannot be used on waterlogged soils: it can simply get bogged down. Airplanes do not have these shortcomings, but they are not maneuverable enough, their use is highly dependent on weather conditions, and besides, they cannot be used at night. Manual processing using sprayers, firstly, is ineffective, and secondly, it is associated with a high risk to the health of personnel. Unmanned aerial systems are devoid of all these shortcomings.

As part of the experiment, it is planned to use drones with a takeoff weight of more than 30 kilograms. They will fly at a speed of no more than 16 m/s at a height of no more than 15 meters. The vehicles must be equipped with collision avoidance systems, that is, they will be able to fly around obstacles. They will pollinate plants according to a pre-set program, but under the control of the operator. Another condition is that the borders of the cultivated territories will have to be at least three hundred meters from settlements. The experiment is expected to last three years.