Sprinkler Drones & Modern Day Farming
Published on : Monday 30-11--0001
I was in the final year of my engineering studies, when I joined a group of batch mates on a project assignment and travelled to a village in Uttar Pradesh. We wanted to study the problems of farmers in the village and identify solutions that can help them. When we started interacting with some of the farmers, we learnt that they were completely unaware of how technology can help them do better farming and help improve productivity. Over these conversations, we shared with them our knowledge about the latest technologies that can make a difference in their lifestyle and can be used for better farming.
I saw a few farmers spraying pesticides manually with their hands, on hot summer days, in extreme weather conditions, where I could barely stand by for a minute. I went to one of them and said, “Drones can help you do this job. Sprinkler drones, which can be controlled sitting in the shade, can evenly spray pesticides all over the crops, in a very small duration of time.”
The farmer, taken by surprise asked, “Is it possible? If so, wish you best of luck.”
Sprinkler drones, aircrafts for agriculture
An agricultural drone is an aircraft that can be remotely controlled and made to perform certain important everyday tasks such as – crop monitoring, soil analysis, nutrient spraying, seeding and planting, etc., with scientific precision and accuracy, which makes farmers more efficient and significantly brings down the cost of manpower. Drones carry various tools including high resolution cameras, infrared/thermal sensors. Ground penetrating radar, could even measure soil conditions and suggest actions.
Technology can play an important role in holistically advancing the agriculture industry and integrating solutions and initiatives into one unified whole, encouraging deeper collaboration between governments, technology, leaders and farmers.
It is time for Agropreneurs to embrace such game changing innovations, maximize productivity and reap the benefits of living in a digital age.
Why sprinkler drones?
Sprinkler drones can save a farmer’s time, money and energy. It takes a human worker a full day to cover 0.65 acre of fields. Now, that can be done with a drone in just 2 minutes. A drone can cover 65-80 acres of fields in one day and can be programmed to spray effectively – reaching the lower parts of the crops and underneath the leaves.
We no longer need to worry about having lack of farming skills or labour capacity, when emergencies occur.
With the DJI agriculture management platform by Dà-Ji?ng Innovations Science and Technology Co Ltd, we can automate sprinkling, check the status of these unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) as well as calculate the extent of the fields covered. Drones will serve more farmers in need. Drone technology will give the agriculture industry a high-technology makeover, enabling planning and strategy based on real-time data gathering and processing. PwC estimates the market for drone-powered solutions in agriculture at $32.4 billion.
Graphic: Industries where drones can be successful - get your drone app built by codewave
Smartphones and mobile apps.
Smart farming through mobile apps can ease the life of a farmer. Farmers can study data, take informed decisions and perform important tasks from anywhere, at any point of time. The most important challenge is to develop an app, which is user friendly and easy to use, since most of the farmers in rural areas may not be tech savvy. With these technologies, farmers can be educated about opportunities across the industry, from yield optimization, fertilizer management, food safety and connecting the market.
With the invention of smartphones, farmers can be assisted with a mobile app which enables them to be more productive and more accurate while in the field and off the field. For example, an app could help farmers manage grass procurement, by suggesting the cheapest feed available for their livestock. You will no longer need paper to do this. An app could also help the farmer more accurately calculate the amount of feed to be given to animals, to avoid obesity and health problems which can be caused by under or overfeeding. Agricultural players can drastically improve their efficiency using mobile and cloud platforms.
As featured on MIT Technology Review, here are some things Drones can do:
- Soil and field analysis: Drones can be instrumental at the start of the crop cycle. They produce precise 3-D maps for early soil analysis, useful in planning seed planting patterns. After planting, drone-driven soil analysis provides data for irrigation and nitrogen-level management.
- Planting: Startups have created drone-planting systems that achieve an uptake rate of 75 per cent and decrease planting costs by 85 per cent. These systems shoot pods with seeds and plant nutrients into the soil, providing the plant all the nutrients necessary to sustain life.
- Crop spraying: Distance-measuring equipment – ultrasonic echoing and lasers such as those used in the light-detection and ranging, or LiDAR, method – enables a drone to adjust altitude as the topography and geography vary, and thus avoid collisions. Consequently, drones can scan the ground and spray the correct amount of liquid, modulating distance from the ground and spraying in real time for even coverage. The result: increased efficiency with a reduction of in the amount of chemicals penetrating into groundwater. In fact, experts estimate that aerial spraying can be completed up to five times faster with drones than with traditional machinery.
- Crop monitoring: Vast fields and low efficiency in crop monitoring together create farming’s largest obstacle. Monitoring challenges are exacerbated by increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, which drive risk and field maintenance costs. Previously, satellite imagery offered the most advanced form of monitoring. But there were drawbacks. Images had to be ordered in advance, could be taken only once a day, and were imprecise. Further, services were extremely costly and the images’ quality typically suffered on certain days. Today, time-series animations can show the precise development of a crop and reveal production inefficiencies, enabling better crop management.
- Irrigation: Drones with hyperspectral, multispectral, or thermal sensors can identify which parts of a field are dry or need improvements. Additionally, once the crop is growing, drones allow the calculation of the vegetation index, which describes the relative density and health of the crop, and show the heat signature, the amount of energy or heat the crop emits.
- Health assessment: It’s essential to assess crop health and spot bacterial or fungal infections on trees. By scanning a crop using both visible and near-infrared light, drone-carried devices can identify which plants reflect different amounts of green light and NIR light. This information can produce multispectral images that track changes in plants and indicate their health. A speedy response can save an entire orchard. In addition, as soon as a sickness is discovered, farmers can apply and monitor remedies more precisely. These two possibilities increase a plant’s ability to overcome disease. And in the case of crop failure, the farmer will be able to document losses more efficiently for insurance claims.
What Codewave can do to advance agriculture?
There’s huge responsibility on technology leaders and app developers of today, to empower people and businesses in the agriculture industry, all stakeholders participating in the economy, including farmers, fertilizer and agriculture equipment companies, encouraging them to be open for technology led advancements.
Codewave, brings unique collective potential, digitisation capabilities and nurtured talent to help the government, organizations and individuals build advanced, intelligent automation systems; empower Agropreneurs and businesses in agriculture take better decisions with data; enable farmers to be more entrepreneurial, responding better to risks and adversities and do much more.
Here are a few advancements with technology we predict, where the industry is heading towards:
- Opportunities for better farming and intelligent automation where possible
- Opportunities for farmers to better manage livestock and animal health
- Opportunities for farmers to transact without middlemen in:
a. Procurement of resources & tools online
b. Supply of produce to consumers online
- Opportunities for farmers to avail quick loans from online NBFCs, on basis of historical data of farming health and ability to respond to adversities.
Pix1: The Sky Guys are leaders in UAV-enabled services and aerial technology.
Pix2: According to PWC, Global Market for Commercial Applications of Drone Technology Valued at over $127 bn. The share of agriculture is $32.4.
Pix3: The DJI Agras MG-1S
Sprinkler Drones & Modern Day Farming (SDA) - Nilikuwa katika mwaka wa mwisho wa masomo yangu ya uhandisi, wakati nilijiunga na kikundi cha wenzangu kwenye mgawo wa mradi na kusafiri kwenda kijiji katika Uttar Pradesh. Tulitaka kuchunguza matatizo ya wakulima katika kijiji hicho na kutambua suluhisho zinazoweza kuwasaidia. """Tulipoanza kuwasiliana na wakulima, tuligundua kwamba hawakujua jinsi teknolojia inaweza kuwasaidia kufanya kilimo bora na kusaidia kuboresha uzalishaji." Katika mazungumzo haya, tulishirikiana nao maarifa yetu kuhusu teknolojia za hivi karibuni ambazo zinaweza kufanya tofauti katika mtindo wao wa maisha na zinaweza kutumika kwa kilimo bora. Niliona wakulima wachache wakirusha dawa za kuua wadudu kwa mikono yao, siku za joto za majira ya joto, katika hali mbaya ya hali ya hewa, ambapo sikuweza kusimama kwa dakika moja. Nilienda kwa mmoja wao na kusema, "Drone zinaweza kukusaidia kufanya kazi hii. "Drone za Sprinkler, ambazo zinaweza kudhibitiwa zikiwa kwenye kivuli, zinaweza kunyunyizia dawa za wadudu kwa usawa kwenye mazao yote, kwa muda mfupi sana. ""Mkulima, akishangaa, aliuliza, ""Je, inawezekana?" Drone ya kilimo ni ndege ambayo inaweza kudhibitiwa kwa mbali na kufanywa kufanya kazi fulani muhimu za kila siku kama vile ufuatiliaji wa mazao, uchambuzi wa udongo, kunyunyizia virutubisho, kupanda na kupanda, na kadhalika, kwa usahihi wa kisayansi na usahihi, ambayo hufanya wakulima kuwa na ufanisi zaidi na kupunguza gharama ya nguvu za binadamu. Drones kubeba zana mbalimbali ikiwa ni pamoja na kamera ya azimio la juu, infrared / sensorer joto. Radar ya kupenya ardhini, inaweza hata kupima hali ya udongo na kupendekeza hatua. Teknolojia inaweza kuwa na jukumu muhimu katika kuendeleza sekta ya kilimo na kuunganisha suluhisho na mipango katika umoja mmoja, kuhimiza ushirikiano wa kina kati ya serikali, teknolojia, viongozi na wakulima. Ni wakati kwa wajasiriamali wa kilimo kukumbatia uvumbuzi kama huo unaobadilisha mchezo, kuongeza uzalishaji na kuvuna faida za kuishi katika enzi ya dijiti. Kwa nini kutumia drones za kunyunyizia maji? Drones sprinkler inaweza kuokoa mkulima's wakati, fedha na nishati. Mfanyakazi wa binadamu huchukua siku nzima kufunika shamba la ekari 0.65. Hii inaweza kufanywa na drone kwa dakika mbili tu. Drone inaweza kufunika ekari 65 hadi 80 za mashamba kwa siku moja na inaweza kupangwa kwa kutumia dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa ya dawa. Hatuna tena kuwa na wasiwasi kuhusu kuwa na ukosefu wa ujuzi wa kilimo au uwezo wa kazi, wakati dharura hutokea. Kwa kutumia jukwaa la usimamizi wa kilimo la DJI, tunaweza kuendesha mashine za kunyunyizia, kuangalia hali ya ndege hizi zisizo na rubani, na pia kuhesabu kiwango cha mashamba yaliyofunikwa. Drones zitahudumia wakulima wengi wanaohitaji msaada. Teknolojia ya drone itatoa sekta ya kilimo mabadiliko ya teknolojia ya juu, kuwezesha mipango na mkakati kulingana na ukusanyaji wa data ya wakati halisi na usindikaji. PwC inakadiria soko la ufumbuzi wa drone katika kilimo kuwa $ 32.4 bilioni. "Kama vile ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Drone"" ni jina la kifaa cha kuendesha ndege ambacho kinaweza kuendeshwa na simu za mkononi na vifaa vya rununu." Kilimo cha akili kupitia programu za simu kinaweza kurahisisha maisha ya mkulima. Wakulima wanaweza kusoma data, kuchukua maamuzi ya habari na kufanya kazi muhimu kutoka mahali popote, wakati wowote. "Tatizo kubwa ni kuunda programu ambayo ni rahisi kutumia, kwa kuwa wakulima wengi katika maeneo ya vijijini hawajui teknolojia.""" Kwa kutumia teknolojia hizi, wakulima wanaweza kuelimishwa kuhusu fursa katika sekta nzima, kutoka kwa uboreshaji wa mavuno, usimamizi wa mbolea, usalama wa chakula na kuunganisha soko. Kwa kuanzishwa kwa simu za mkononi, wakulima wanaweza kusaidiwa na programu ya simu ambayo huwawezesha kuwa wazalishaji zaidi na sahihi zaidi wakati wakiwa shambani na nje ya shamba. Kwa mfano, programu inaweza kusaidia wakulima kusimamia ununuzi wa nyasi, kwa kupendekeza chakula cha bei nafuu kinachopatikana kwa mifugo yao. Hutahitaji tena karatasi ili kufanya hivyo. Programu hiyo pia inaweza kumsaidia mkulima kuhesabu kwa usahihi kiasi cha chakula kinachopaswa kupewa wanyama ili kuepuka uzito na matatizo ya afya ambayo yanaweza kusababishwa na kulisha kupita kiasi au chini. Wachezaji wa kilimo wanaweza kuboresha sana ufanisi wao kwa kutumia majukwaa ya rununu na wingu. Drones zinaweza kufanya kazi kama vile: Uchambuzi wa udongo na shamba: Drones zinaweza kuwa muhimu mwanzoni mwa mzunguko wa mazao. Wao hutokeza ramani sahihi za 3D kwa ajili ya uchambuzi wa mapema wa udongo, muhimu katika kupanga mifumo ya kupanda mbegu. Baada ya kupanda, uchambuzi wa udongo unaoendeshwa na ndege zisizo na rubani hutoa data kwa ajili ya umwagiliaji na usimamizi wa kiwango cha nitrojeni. -Kupanda: Startups wameunda mifumo ya kupanda drone ambayo hufikia kiwango cha upatikanaji wa asilimia 75 na kupunguza gharama za kupanda kwa asilimia 85. Mifumo hiyo hupiga mbegu na virutubisho vya mimea kwenye udongo, na hivyo kumpa mmea virutubisho vyote vinavyohitajika ili uendelee kuishi. - Kupiga dawa: Vifaa vya kupima umbali - ultrasonic echoing na lasers kama vile zile zinazotumiwa katika njia ya kugundua mwanga na umbali, au LiDAR - huwezesha drone kurekebisha urefu wakati topografia na jiografia inabadilika, na hivyo kuepuka mgongano. Kwa hivyo, drones zinaweza kuchunguza ardhi na kunyunyizia kiasi sahihi cha kioevu, kubadilisha umbali kutoka ardhini na kunyunyizia kwa wakati halisi kwa chanjo sawa. Matokeo: ufanisi ulioongezeka na kupunguzwa kwa kiasi cha kemikali zinazoingia katika maji ya chini ya ardhi. Wataalamu wanasema kuwa ndege za kuendesha ndege zinaweza kufanya kazi kwa kasi mara tano kuliko mashine za kawaida. - Ufuatiliaji wa mazao: Mashamba makubwa na ufanisi mdogo katika ufuatiliaji wa mazao pamoja huunda kizuizi kikubwa cha kilimo. Matatizo ya ufuatiliaji yanazidishwa na hali ya hewa isiyoweza kutabiriwa, ambayo huendesha hatari na gharama za matengenezo ya uwanja. Hapo awali, picha za satelaiti zilikuwa njia ya hali ya juu zaidi ya kufuatilia. Lakini kulikuwa na kasoro. Picha zilipaswa kuagizwa mapema, zingeweza kuchukuliwa mara moja tu kwa siku, na hazikuwa sahihi. Zaidi ya hayo, huduma zilikuwa ghali sana na ubora wa picha kwa kawaida uliteseka siku fulani. Leo, michoro ya mfululizo wa wakati inaweza kuonyesha maendeleo sahihi ya mazao na kufunua ukosefu wa ufanisi wa uzalishaji, kuwezesha usimamizi bora wa mazao. - Umwagiliaji: Drones na hyperspectral, multispectral, au sensorer joto inaweza kutambua ambayo sehemu ya shamba ni kavu au haja ya maboresho. Kwa kuongezea, mara tu mazao yanapoongezeka, drones huruhusu hesabu ya kiashiria cha mimea, ambayo inaelezea wiani wa jamaa na afya ya mazao, na kuonyesha saini ya joto, kiasi cha nishati au joto ambalo mazao hutokeza. - Tathmini ya afya: Ni muhimu kutathmini afya ya mazao na kutambua maambukizi ya bakteria au fungi kwenye miti. Kwa kuchunguza mazao kwa kutumia mwanga unaoonekana na wa karibu wa infrared, vifaa vya drone vinaweza kutambua ni mimea gani inayoonyesha kiasi tofauti cha mwanga wa kijani na NIR. Habari hiyo inaweza kutokeza picha nyingi za rangi ambazo huonyesha mabadiliko katika mimea na kuonyesha afya yake. Jibu la haraka laweza kuokoa bustani nzima ya matunda. Kwa kuongezea, mara tu ugonjwa unapogunduliwa, wakulima wanaweza kutumia na kufuatilia tiba kwa usahihi zaidi. Uwezekano huu wawili huongeza uwezo wa mmea wa kushinda magonjwa. Katika kesi ya hasara ya mazao, mkulima anaweza kuhifadhi hasara kwa ufanisi zaidi kwa madai ya bima. Codewave inaweza kufanya nini ili kuendeleza kilimo? Kuna jukumu kubwa kwa viongozi wa teknolojia na watengenezaji wa programu ya leo, kuwawezesha watu na biashara katika sekta ya kilimo, wadau wote wanaoshiriki katika uchumi, pamoja na wakulima, makampuni ya mbolea na vifaa vya kilimo, kuwachochea kuwa wazi kwa maendeleo ya teknolojia. CodeWave inatoa uwezo wa kipekee wa pamoja, uwezo wa digitization na talanta ya kulelewa kusaidia serikali, mashirika na watu binafsi kujenga mifumo ya hali ya juu ya akili ya automatisering; kuwawezesha wakulima na wafanyabiashara katika kilimo kufanya maamuzi bora na data; kuwawezesha wakulima kuwa wajasiriamali zaidi, kujibu vizuri kwa hatari na shida na kufanya mengi zaidi. "Hizi ni baadhi ya maendeleo ya teknolojia tunayotabiri, ambapo sekta inaelekea: ""Uwezekano wa kilimo bora na automatisering ya akili, ikiwezekana, fursa kwa wakulima kusimamia vizuri mifugo na afya ya wanyama, fursa kwa wakulima kufanya shughuli bila wa kati katika: a." Ununuzi wa rasilimali na zana mtandaoni b. Utoaji wa mazao kwa watumiaji mtandaoni - fursa kwa wakulima kupata mikopo ya haraka kutoka kwa NBFCs mtandaoni, kwa msingi wa data ya kihistoria ya afya ya kilimo na uwezo wa kukabiliana na shida. Sky Guys ni viongozi katika huduma za UAV na teknolojia ya anga. PwC: Soko la Kimataifa la Matumizi ya Biashara ya Teknolojia ya Drone Lithaminiwa Zaidi ya $ 127 Bn Sehemu ya kilimo ni $ 32.4. DJI Agras MG1S