1. Operational efficiency
Agriculture drones : agriculture drones are highly efficient and can usually cover hundreds of acres of land in a day. Take the Aolan AL4-30 plant protection drone as an example. Under standard operating conditions, it can cover 80 to 120 acres per hour. Based on an 8-hour spraying work, it can complete 640 to 960 acres of pesticide spraying tasks. This is mainly due to the drone’s ability to fly quickly and operate precisely according to the set route, without being restricted by factors such as terrain and crop row spacing, and the flight speed can be flexibly adjusted between 3 and 10 meters per second.
Traditional spraying method : The efficiency of traditional manual backpack sprayers is extremely low. A skilled worker can spray about 5-10 mu of pesticides in a day. Because manual spraying requires carrying heavy medicine boxes, walking slowly, and shuttling between fields to avoid crops, the labor intensity is high and it is difficult to maintain efficient operation for a long time. The traditional tractor-drawn boom sprayer is more efficient than manual spraying, but it is limited by the road conditions and plot size in the field. It is inconvenient to operate in small and irregular plots, and it takes time to turn around. Generally, the operating area is about 10-30 mu per hour, and the operating area is about 80-240 mu per day for 8 hours.
2. Human cost
Agriculture drones : Only 1-2 pilots are needed to operate agriculture sprayer drones. After professional training, pilots can skillfully operate drones to perform operations. The cost of pilots is generally calculated by day or by operating area. Assuming that the pilot’s salary is 500 yuan a day and operates 1,000 acres of land, the pilot cost per acre is about 0.5 yuan. At the same time, drone spraying does not require a lot of manual participation, which greatly saves manpower.
Traditional spraying method : manual spraying with backpack sprayers requires a lot of manpower. For example, if a worker sprays 10 acres of land a day, 100 people are needed. Assuming that each person is paid 200 yuan a day, the labor cost alone is as high as 20,000 yuan, and the labor cost per acre is 20 yuan. Even if a tractor-driven boom sprayer is used, at least 2-3 people are needed to operate it, including the driver and assistants, and the labor cost is still high.
3. Amount of pesticide used
Agriculture drones : agriculture drones use low-volume spray technology, with small and uniform droplets, which can more accurately spray pesticides on the surface of crops. The effective utilization rate of pesticides is relatively high, generally reaching 35% – 40%. Through precise application of pesticides, the amount of pesticides used can be reduced by 10% – 30% while ensuring the prevention and control effect. For example, when preventing and controlling rice pests and diseases, the traditional method requires 150 – 200 grams of pesticide preparations per mu, while the use of agriculture drones only requires 100 – 150 grams per mu.
Traditional spraying methods : Manual backpack sprayers often have uneven spraying, repeated spraying and missed spraying, which results in serious waste of pesticides and an effective utilization rate of only about 20% – 30%. Although tractor-towed boom sprayers have better spray coverage, due to factors such as their nozzle design and spray pressure, the effective utilization rate of pesticides is only 30% – 35%, and usually a larger amount of pesticides is required to achieve a better control effect.
4. Operational safety
Agriculture drones : The pilot controls the drones through a remote control in a safe area far away from the operation area, avoiding direct contact between people and pesticides, greatly reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning. Especially in hot weather or during the high incidence of pests and diseases, it can effectively protect the health of operators. At the same time, when drones are operating in complex terrain such as mountains and steep slopes, there is no need for people to venture in, reducing the risk of accidents during the operation.
Traditional pesticide spraying method : manual backpack spraying, workers need to carry the pesticide box for a long time, and are directly exposed to the pesticide droplet environment, which can easily absorb pesticides through the respiratory tract, skin contact and other pathways, and the probability of pesticide poisoning is high. Tractor-towed boom sprayers also have certain safety hazards when operating in the field, such as accidental injuries caused by machine failures, and possible rollover accidents when driving in fields with complex road conditions.
5. Operational flexibility
Agriculture drones : They can adapt to farmlands with various terrains and different planting patterns. Whether it is small scattered fields, irregularly shaped plots, or even complex terrains such as mountains and hills, agriculture drones can easily cope with them. Moreover, drones can flexibly adjust flight altitude, spray parameters, etc. according to the height of different crops and the distribution of pests and diseases to achieve precise application of pesticides. For example, in an orchard, the flight altitude and spraying amount of the drone can be adjusted according to the size and height of the fruit tree canopy.
Traditional spraying methods : Although manual backpack sprayers are relatively flexible, they are labor-intensive and inefficient for large-scale farmland operations. Tractor-towed boom sprayers are limited by their size and turning radius, making them difficult to operate in small fields or narrow ridges. They have high requirements for terrain and plot shape and are basically unable to operate in complex terrain. For example, it is difficult for tractors to drive and operate in terrain such as terraces.
6. Impact on crops
Agriculture drones : The flight altitude of drones is adjustable, usually 0.5-2 meters from the top of the crop. The low-volume spray technology used produces droplets that have little impact on the crop and are not easy to damage the crop leaves and fruits. At the same time, due to its fast spraying speed and short stay time on the crop, it has little interference with crop growth. For example, in grape planting, agriculture drones can avoid mechanical damage to grape bunches when spraying pesticides.
Traditional spraying methods : When a manual backpack sprayer is walking in the field, it may trample the crops, causing them to fall over, break, etc. When a tractor-towed boom sprayer enters the field for operation, the wheels are likely to crush the crops, especially in the late stage of crop growth, causing more obvious damage to the crops, which may affect crop yield and quality.
Post time: Mar-18-2025