Drons as a high-tech tool for modern agriculture

Abstract

Razvojem novih tehnologija sve značajnijim postaje korištenje bespilotnih letjelica (dronova) u poljoprivredi. Dronovi su učinkovit alat koji pridonosi razvoju precizne poljoprivrede. Uporaba im je višestruka zbog mogućnosti nadogradnje raznim uređajima, poput multispektralnih i RGB kamera, GPS uređaja i sl. Najčešće se uporabljuju dronovi s nepokretnim i s pokretnim krilima, a osnovna razlika temelji se na brzini i vremenu trajanja leta. Dronovi se u poljoprivredi koriste za mapiranje terena, praćenje sklopa, navodnjavanje, prihranu, detekciju štetnih organizama i lokaliziranu primjenu kemijskih ili bioloških sredstava za zaštitu bilja. U Hrvatskoj je korištenje dronova regulirano „Pravilnikom o sustavima bespilotnih zrakoplova“ koji propisuje uvjete za sigurnu uporabu dronova operativne mase do 150 kg. Uporaba dronova u suvremenoj poljoprivredi smanjit će potrebu za fizičkim radom u polju, što će ujedno pridonijeti modernizaciji poljoprivredne proizvodnje u skladu sa sve većim zahtjevima tržišta.With the development of new technologies, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in agriculture is becoming increasingly important. Drones are an effective tool that contributes to the development of precision agriculture. Their use is diverse as they can be upgraded with various devices such as multispectral and RGB cameras, GPS devices, etc. Fixed-wing and moving-wing drones are most commonly used, with the main difference being speed and flight duration. Drones with moving wings also have the ability to carry cargo, which helps in research and control of pests. Drones are used in agriculture for terrain mapping, crop stand monitoring, irrigation, application of fertilizers, pest detection and localized application of chemical or biological pesticides. In Croatia, the use of drones is regulated by the "Ordinance on Drone Systems", which prescribes conditions for the safe use of drones with an operational mass of up to 150 kg. The need for manual labor in the field will be reduced, which will also contribute to the modernization of agricultural production in line with the growing demands of the markets