Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) in agriculture: A review

The global population is increasing rapidly, leading to a corresponding rise in food demand. Traditional farming practices are often insufficient to meet these growing requirements, necessitating the adoption of advanced automated technologies such as drones. Drone technology not only contributes to fulfilling food demands but also optimizes resource utilization by reducing excessive use of water, pesticides, and herbicides, while helping maintain soil fertility. It enhances manpower efficiency, increases productivity, and improves crop quality. The objective of this paper is to review the diverse applications of drones in agriculture. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine existing research worldwide. Findings indicate that drones can support multiple agricultural operations, including crop health monitoring, weed management, evapotranspiration estimation, precision spraying, and overall farm management. The paper concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits of wider adoption of drone technology to improve agricultural outputs and sustainability.