This book offers a thorough exploration of how drone technology is transforming agriculture and horticulture, providing both foundational knowledge and practical applications. It begins by tracing the history and evolution of drones, offering insights into their technical advancements and the various types of drones suited for specific tasks in farming. Essential criteria for drone design, along with an in-depth look at the components that enable their use in agriculture, are explored to help readers understand the technical aspects of drone deployment. Regulatory frameworks and safety guidelines are also discussed to ensure users are aware of the legal and operational protocols for using drones effectively. The book delves into precision agriculture, showing how drones can enhance crop monitoring, field analysis, irrigation management, and pest control. Through data analytics and aerial imaging, drones provide farmers with precise tools to improve decision-making and optimize agricultural practices, including yield estimation and health assessments. The economic impacts, challenges, and future innovations of drone use are evaluated, giving readers a broad understanding of the benefits and limitations of this technology. By covering a wide range of applications - from soil analysis to pesticide application - the book demonstrates how drones can contribute to more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable agricultural practices. It serves as an essential resource for professionals and researchers looking to harness the potential of drones in modern farming.
Dr. Hadole Mahesh Vinayak is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Vignan’s Foundation for Science Technology and Research (Deemed to be University), Vadlamudi, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He holds an M.Tech. in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from Dr. PDKV(State University), Akola, Maharashtra and a Ph.D. in Land and Water Resources Engineering from Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Dr. Hadole has more than 10 years of combined teaching and research experience. He has demonstrated his expertise through the publication in prestigious National and International journals. Beyond academia, Dr. Hadole serves as a reviewer for editorial boards of renowned journals by Springer, Elsevier, Wiley and others. Dr. Hadole has contributed in offering Micro Irrigation Engineering course on NPTEL Platform handled by IIT, Madras. His areas of specialization include Modern Irrigation Technologies, Precision Agriculture and Renewable Energy.
Dr. Md. Faiyaz Ahmed is currently an Assistant Professor (Senior Level) in Robotics and Automation Engineering at Vignan’s Foundation for Science Technology and Research (Deemed to be University), Vadlamudi, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. He holds an M.Tech. in Automation Engineering from JNTU, Hyderabad University, Telangana and a Ph.D. in Robotics Specialization from Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj. He has secured Two grants of Utility and Design Patents (India and U.K.) on indigenous drone for inspection of overhead power transmission lines. Dr. Faiyaz has also been awarded with Young Scientist Award by Global Insights on Research and Development – G H Raisoni University for the research work carried during Ph.D. in the domain of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Best Paper Award in International Conference on 3rd Electric Power and Renewable Energy Conference (EPREC-2022) at NIT, Jamshedpur, India. He has demonstrated his expertise through the publications in prestigious National and International journals. Beyond academia, Dr. Faiyaz serves as a reviewer for editorial boards of renowned journals by Web of Science, Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, IEEE Transactions and others. His areas of specialization include Mobile Robots, UAV’s and Legged Robots.
Mr. Lokesh Madineni is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Vignan’s Foundation for Science Technology and Research (Deemed to be University), Vadlamudi, Guntur,Andhra Pradesh. He holds a B.Tech. in Agricultural Engineering from Vignan Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (VFSTR), Vadlamudi, Andhra Pradesh and He holds an M.Tech. in Farm Machinery from Vignan Foundation for Science, Technology and Research (VFSTR), Vadlamudi, Andhra Pradesh. MR. Lokesh Madineni has more than 5 years of teaching experience. He has demonstrated his expertise through the publication in prestigious national and international journals.
Dr. Santosh D.T. is working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, School of Agriculture and Bio-Engineering, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha. He earned his Ph.D. in December 2019 from the Agricultural and Food Engineering Department at IIT, Kharagpur under the supervision of Professor K N Tiwari. He worked as a Research Associate at Precision Farming Development Centre, IIT, Kharagpur for a decade (2010-2020), which was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. His area of research is micro-irrigation, greenhouse technology, protected cultivation techniques, and hydroponics. He has a number of publications in National and International peer-reviewed journals. Moreover, he has four years of industrial experience as a marketing professional at TAFE Tractor, GEA Farm Technologies, and HDFC Bank.
1. Introduction to Drone Technology in Agriculture and Horticulture...........................................................................................1
2. History and Evolution of Drone Technology.................................21
3. Types of Drones and Their Features................................................47
4. Essential Criteria and Fundamental Components of Drone Design ......................................................................................63
5. Regulatory Framework and Safety Guidelines..............................87
6. Precision Agriculture: The Role of Drones ...................................111
7. Drone-based Crop Monitoring and Health Assessment............131
8. Irrigation Management with Drone Technology.........................145
9. Soil and Field Analysis Using Drones...........................................163
10. Drones in Pest and Disease Management.....................................175
11. Drones for Fertilizer and Pesticide Application ..........................187
12. Aerial Imaging and Mapping in Agriculture...............................203
13. Drone Data Analytics and Decision-Making ...............................221
14. Drones in Horticultural Practices...................................................237
15. Drone-Assisted Harvesting and Yield Estimation ......................255
16. Economic Impacts, Challenges, and Future Innovations in Agricultural Drones...............................................269
