What are the Key Features to Look for in Agricultural Drones?

India is among the highest-ranking agricultural nations, with a total gross production value of USD 440.80 billion in 2024 and a 7.91% CAGR from 2024–2028. In FY24, the government owed 1.9% of the total Union Budget to Agricultural segments, intended to support marginal or small-scale farmers through PM KISAN Yojana.

Drones have made a solid entry into most industries, and drones will soon influence the industries that remain untouched. Once only used in the military, drones have now become a commonality, to say the least. Agriculture has embraced drones gleefully, not only in India but all over the world.

Agricultural drones have transformed farming. They provide farmers with data to improve precision farming practices.

The ICAR also promotes the use of drones in agriculture by employing various initiatives and setting up the Cеntrе for Prеcision and Farming Technologies.

With the market flooded with agricultural drones, selecting the right one can be daunting. If you are also thinking of buying an agricultural drone and are confused about features that should be considered, you have landed on the correct page. Here, you will learn all the features to consider before buying an agricultural drone and learn more about drone use in agriculture.

Farmers can use more accurate estimates of annual yield to make decisions and manage expectations. Drones offer many benefits, helping to gather more on-demand insights quickly and efficiently. For instance, growers can scout whole fields without actually stepping into them, which helps evade soil compaction and pests and disease spread while minimalizing risks regarding the safety of the workers.

ROI is also key. A drone can initially take a few bucks out of your pocket, but it offers several lasting benefits for farmers. Insights gained from drones quickly pay for themselves and can be understood in one season.

When considering labour, if the people available are not adequate to check the property or the area is too large, it might be time to hunt for a drone that can map an area equal to 500 hectares in one flight.

Additionally, is crop productivity irregular? Some farmers also switch to agrotechnology with a drone when it comes to producing high-value crops, using precision systems, or practicing integrated pest, weed, and disease management.

The Kisan Drone Subsidy Programme, the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization, offers monetary aid to farmers for acquiring drones. The program offers different amounts based on the type of farmer and the drone's ownership:

• Farmers’ Cooperative Society, FPOs, and Rural entrepreneurs can get up to Rs 4 lakhs for drone purchases.

• Agriculture graduates can have up to Rs 5 lakhs for drone purchases, 50% of the cost.

• Small and Marginal SC/ST, Women, and North Eastern State Farmers Can obtain up to Rs 5 lakhs for the purchase of drones, which is 50% of the cost.

• Other farmers can have up to Rs 4 lakhs for drone purchase, 40% of the cost.

The program also offers grants of up to Rs 10 lakhs, or 100% of the cost of an agriculture drone, whichever is less, to Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes, ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and State Agriculture Universities.

The government of India has implemented policies to support drone technology for farmers, including the NaMo Drone Didi Scheme, which will offer 15 thousand drones to women's self-help groups from 2024 to 2026.

The first and foremost considerations are flight time and battery life. An agricultural drone must be able to cover large areas of land without the need to be recharged. This is essential for the efficient completion of operations. The batteries of agricultural drones should last longer than those of consumer drones.

Longer flight times ensure that tasks, such as agricultural monitoring or spraying of pesticides and insecticides, are not interrupted. Generally, the flight time of agricultural drones is between half an hour and one hour, depending upon the weight of the drone and its model.

A drone's payload capacity, also known as its weight-carrying capacity, must also be considered when buying an agricultural drone. This is especially true if the drone is to be used to spray fertilizers and pesticides on agricultural lands.

A drone with a higher payload capacity can carry more equipment, such as cameras for crop monitoring or tanks for spraying fertilizers and pesticides. If the payload capacity of a drone is good, it can perform many tasks without frequent refills.

GPS is important for a modern drone. It is handy for navigation, mapping, and precision farming applications. Drones with GPS systems can offer precise data for crop health monitoring, field mapping, and terrain analysis.

GPS navigation guarantees that drones fly along fixed paths, leading to dependable results and precise coverage. Farmers also value autonomous flight features, such as automated missions and waypoint navigation, to maximize productivity and reduce the involvement of humans.

Agricultural drones, specifically intended for agricultural spraying, need precise features to ensure that pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides are applied consistently and competently. Precision application is important for decreasing waste and increasing treatment efficiency.

Drones equipped with effective spraying systems can cover large areas without much human intervention. They are particularly useful for applying fertilizers and pesticides in hard-to-reach areas, decreasing exposure to chemicals and improving environmental sustainability.

The types of sensors present in agricultural drones play a big role in improving their efficiency in operation. Different sensors provide data that can be used for irrigation management, crop health monitoring, and pest detection.

With the right sensors, an agricultural drone's precision and utility can greatly improve. Thermal, Multispectral, and LiDAR sensors are the most common for agricultural purposes, providing insights into soil moisture levels, plant health, and overall conditions of the agricultural fields.

Agricultural drones are used in outdoor environments, and it is important that they stand tall against all odds of the weather. To do well in this regard, drones should be made of durable materials, and they should have the ability to stand tall in all kinds of weather and not have the impact of water and dust.

If the drone is durable, it will relentlessly do the tasks it is meant for, even in the most testing conditions, without requiring much maintenance and reducing downtime. Being waterproof and dustproof will make it efficient, and you will also not be tense about breaking down under the impact of dust storms and rains.

Effective data management is important when choosing and using agricultural drones. Data processing and incorporation with farm management software are important and necessary to make decisions based on the data collected.

One major advantage of using agricultural drones is their capability to collect, process, and evaluate data. Cutting-edge data management competencies allow farmers to be informed about crop health, regulate their farming practices, and integrate drone data into wide-ranging farm management systems.

If all the above-mentioned factors are taken into account before purchasing an agricultural drone, you will most likely make the right decision and improve precision agriculture practices.

You have to be very sure about the use cases of your drone to make the right decision about the choice of an agricultural drone. It is because of the fact that if the use cases of a drone are clear, then you will know exactly which features are to be given heed and what are the best choices for you to make.

To make the best use of an agricultural drone, you also have to be adept at operating it efficiently and possess a license that gives you permission to use drones for commercial purposes. If you want to learn drone flying, then admission to a drone training institute like Flapone Aviation is the right way to go forward. Then, if precision farming is on your mind, don’t wait for long before coming to us and opening up a new horizon for yourself in the field of agriculture.