Description
Drones by Fly&See Agro is a drone technology that aims to protect plants against disease through pest monitoring, soil condition assessments and the identification of problematic areas. Drones are used to monitor plant development dynamics and vegetation indices to support the estimation of fertiliser demands, and to identify disease and pest colony hotspots. The technology can be used to aid the management of medium and large farms in Russia. The Drones are also utilized for the application of growth stimulants, fertilizers and crop protection agents to different crops at any stage of growth. The Drones make use of multispectral and infrared imagery for the assessment of field risks and productivity, supporting the enhancement of yields and product quality. Furthermore, they can also support the creation of digital maps containing soil composition data, which can support optimal crop distribution during sowing, can coordinate plant protection measures with specialists, and can generate yield and agricultural productivity forecasts. Fly&See Agro use drones with entomophages. The use of entomophagy to protect plants from pests contributes to reducing the pesticide load on plants and organic crops, preserving the earth and slowing down the oxidation and aggradation of the soil, preserving bees and other pollinating insects, and reducing the outlays on agricultural machinery. The company offers full technical support to all users of their Drone technologies, and is in the process of creating digital maps of lands (accessible from the company’s database), analysing soil composition and quality, and recommending how crops should be distributed during sowing, control vegetation in collaboration with specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection. The process of introducing drone technology in the field is divided into seven stages. The process begins with extensive research, monitoring crop fields to ascertain processing volume and scheme. Coordination follows, entailing requests for entomophagy introduction, contract agreements, cooperation terms and payment schedules. Then, the appropriate pheromone traps are selected based on the types of crops and pests. This is followed by the mutual definition of the time and standard for the introduction of entomophagy. The entomophages are then cultivated and tested for quality in vitro. Post this, entomophages are introduced via drone aircraft as per the predetermined schedule. Lastly, the efficiency of the entomophage application is assessed, ensuring crop conservation.
Technology
Two special dispensers and application methods have been developed that allow the use of entomophagy to protect plants from pests in the open field. Dosers are used to deposit either the eggs (trichogramma, lacewing) or pupae (habrobracon hebetor) of entomophagy using drones. The dispenser has appropriate tincture channels for working in various modes and for various crops, and has its own GPS module, allowing the automation of the entomophage introduction process. One specialized drone can treat 20 ha in a 14-minute flight. Drone maintenance requires a crew of 2 people. The average productivity of the crew per shift is 700 ha. According to the company website, the drone sprayer generates droplets measuring between 50 and 130 micrometres, which prevents the formulation from rolling off the leaf doubling the processing efficiency and reducing working fluid consumption by a factor of 20. The Drones are controlled by trained staff using a remote controller and the stored information is accessible with the support of Fly&See Agro. Fly&See Agro is currently advancing its research and development efforts in various areas, including the development of remote-control pheromone traps for monitoring summer pests, the use of spray drones for the application of activated water as a plant growth stimulator, the use of polarized water in the preparation of working solutions involving biological products, designing a UAV dispenser that utilizes the predatory posidius bug for pest control on potatoes, and the development of a budget-class UAV that can introduce trichogramma to open fields. All these endeavours aim to enhance agricultural practice and contribute to the development of more effective and sustainable pest management and crop growth strategies.
Target
The main users of Fly&See Agro are medium- and large-sized farms in the Russian Federation, as well as agronomists and researchers. Pricing for drone use is determined by scanning the land and then using a farm consultation system for pricing. When numerous small farmers are located in the same area, they can unite their lands for the provision of service. As of August 2023, farmers in the Krasnodar, Stavropol, Lipetsk and Saratov regions have made use of the technology.
Business model
Farmers pay a fee for the use of the drones and the associated consultation services (e.g., spreading pesticides or fertilisers). The price depends on the size of the farm and how much pest control is needed based on individual consultations by Fly&See Agro and the potential client.
Impact
Fly&See Agro is currently treating over 40 000 ha of agricultural land each year. According to the company website, it can provide 90 percent protection from pests and 50 percent savings for farmers, though it is not specified if the stated savings are financial or relate to the volume of pesticides used. Smallholder farmers can unite to benefit from the entomophagous field treatment service when they and other nearby farms are supported and funded by civil society organizations. The company has stated that it hopes in the future to manufacture its own, inexpensive unmanned aerial vehicles for independent use by farmers.
Partners
All-Russian Research Institute of Biological Plant Protection; All-Russian Scientific Research Amelioration Institute; Kuban Gardeners’ Union; Organic Farmers Association; SOKO Company; All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops; Federal Rice Research Centre; Russian Agricultural Centre
Four Betters
Better production
