What Is UAV Fertilization?
UAV fertilization, simply put, involves using unmanned flying vehicles equipped with professional fertilization equipment to precisely and efficiently apply fertilizers to crops from the air. It bids farewell to the arduous work of farmers carrying heavy sprayers on their backs or driving large agricultural machinery through the fields in traditional fertilization methods, ushering in an intelligent and automated new era for fertilization operations.
UAVs come in various shapes and sizes, but those used for fertilization typically possess stable flight performance and a relatively large payload capacity. They are like the “industrious bees” in the sky, following preset instructions to methodically shuttle above the farmland. The fertilization systems they carry are even more ingenious, with efficient spraying and spreading devices designed specifically for liquid and granular fertilizers.
Take liquid fertilizer spraying as an example. The spray system equipped on a UAV can atomize the fertilizer solution into tiny particles, usually ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers in diameter, which fall gently like a fine morning mist. In rice cultivation, when the rice reaches the middle and late growth stages and urgently needs to replenish various nutrient elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to promote grain filling and improve the setting rate, the UAV can show its capabilities. Carrying the prepared foliar fertilizer, it flies low over the rice fields along a precisely planned route. The atomized fertilizer droplets seep into the plant tissues along the veins of the rice leaves, providing a boost for a bountiful rice harvest.
For granular fertilizers, such as the slow-release compound fertilizers commonly used in orchards, the spreading devices of UAVs demonstrate unique advantages. The fertilizer granules in the hopper are spread outwards at a uniform speed and angle under the action of a high-speed rotating centrifugal disk or screw propeller. Operators only need to set the flight parameters and fertilization amounts on the ground through a remote control or intelligent terminal, and the UAV can nimbly shuttle between fruit trees, accurately spreading the fertilizer around the roots of each tree. This not only avoids fertilizer waste but also ensures that each fruit tree receives sufficient nutrients.
Why To Choose UAV Fertilization?
1. Soaring Efficiency, Racing Against Time for a Bumper Harvest
UAV fertilization is not restricted by terrain. Whether it’s the vast and flat wheat fields on the plains or the terraced orchards in the hilly regions, it can operate with ease and speed. Compared with traditional manual fertilization, the efficiency increases exponentially. For a large farm covering several hundred acres, if manual backpack sprayers are used for fertilization, it may take several days or even weeks, and farmers need to toil in the fields for a long time, consuming a great deal of physical energy. However, with a UAV, the same area of fertilization can be completed in just a few hours, significantly shortening the fertilization cycle and ensuring that crops receive nutrients in a timely manner at critical growth stages, winning precious time for a bountiful harvest.
2. Precise Application, Hitting the Mark to Aid Growth
Relying on high-precision satellite positioning systems, such as GPS or Beidou Navigation, UAVs can achieve centimeter-level precise positioning. Before fertilization, operators use professional software to outline the boundaries of the farmland on an electronic map, plan the flight route, and accurately set the fertilization amount for each area based on soil fertility test results and the growth stage of the crops. This means that the fertilizer can be accurately delivered to where the crops need it most, avoiding the uneven fertilization problems caused by human errors in traditional fertilization methods. Each plant can receive just the right amount of nourishment, growing more uniformly and robustly, and naturally leading to a significant increase in the yield and quality of agricultural products.
3. Gentle on Crops, Minimizing Damage with Delicate Action
Traditional fertilization machinery inevitably crushes crops when driving through the fields. Especially for some young or shallow-rooted crops, such as vegetables and flowers, irreversible physical damage is caused, affecting their growth and development. In contrast, UAVs operate delicately in the air, completely avoiding direct contact with the crops, like holding up an “umbrella” for them. In a vegetable greenhouse, the UAV can follow a preset track to carefully spray fertilizer on the vegetable leaves, meeting the growth needs of the crops while maximizing protection from mechanical damage, ensuring that the vegetables remain tender, green, and of high quality.
4. Energy-Efficient and Environmentally Friendly
Due to its high precision, UAV fertilization reduces fertilizer waste and overuse, lowering the risk of soil and water pollution caused by fertilizers, aligning with the current concept of green agriculture. At the same time, compared with traditional fuel-powered agricultural machinery, electric UAVs consume less energy and produce almost no exhaust emissions during operation, being friendly to the atmospheric environment. Taking an ecological orchard as an example, using UAV fertilization not only reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers but also helps maintain a good ecological balance in the orchard, producing fruits that are more green and healthy and highly favored by consumers.
How To Make UAV Fertilization Effective?
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions have a significant impact on the effectiveness of UAV fertilization. Wind speed is the primary consideration. Generally, it is recommended to operate when the wind speed is less than 4 – 5 meters per second. Otherwise, strong winds will scatter the fertilizer, resulting in uneven fertilization, and even the fertilizer may drift to non-target areas, causing environmental pollution or affecting adjacent farmland crops. It is strictly forbidden to fertilize on the eve of rainfall or during rainfall, as rainwater will instantly wash away the newly applied fertilizer, rendering the fertilization futile and may even trigger problems such as eutrophication of water bodies. In addition, high-temperature and dry weather can cause liquid fertilizers to evaporate rapidly, affecting fertilizer absorption; while a high-humidity environment may interfere with the normal operation of UAV electronic components, endangering flight safety. Therefore, suitable temperature and humidity are also essential.
Flight Safety
Flight safety is the lifeline of UAV fertilization. On the one hand, it is necessary to strictly abide by airspace control regulations. Before operation, it is essential to learn about local no-fly zones in advance, such as airport clearance protection zones and military control zones, and apply for flight permits in accordance with the law. Ensure that the flight height of the UAV complies with the requirements to avoid threatening aviation safety. On the other hand, it is crucial to be familiar with the terrain and obstacle distribution in the operation area. In mountainous and hilly areas, it is necessary to plan the flight route reasonably according to the terrain undulations, avoiding obstacles such as power poles, trees, and buildings. At the same same time, irrigation facilities, greenhouse sheds, etc. in the farmland may also affect the flight of the UAV, so it is necessary to check them in advance to ensure smooth flight. Before each operation, carefully inspect the battery level, motors, propellers, fertilization devices, etc. of the UAV, and conduct regular comprehensive maintenance.