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Drones
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Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV
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Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV

A special issue of Drones (ISSN 2504-446X). This special issue belongs to the section "Drones in Agriculture and Forestry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 19404

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ruirui Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Interests: precision agriculture; agriculture aerial applications; UAVs and UGVs for plant protection; intelligent equipment and sensors for agriculture and forestry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrew Hewitt

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
Interests: crop protection; spray drift; UAV spraying; forestry and vector control applications; remote sensing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ahamed Tofael

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Associate Professor, Faculty and Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan
Interests: remote sensing; precision agriculture; big data; GIS; decision support systems; agricultural machinery sensing systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Unmanned technologies are currently developing rapidly and bringing revolutionary change to agriculture. It is important to ensure plant protection in order to obtain high-yield and high-quality agricultural production. The demand for green and efficient plant protection is promoting innovation and the development of advanced technologies. For agricultural and forestry plant protection applications, theoretical and technical innovation of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) is mounting around the world, and spraying applications using UAVs and UGVs have expanded rapidly. Specifically, UAV-based remote sensing technology supports the accurate monitoring of disease, pests and weeds by the acquisition and analysis of high-precision and high-frequency crop information. Additionally, relying on the high maneuverability and strong downwash flow of UAVs has contributed to realizing efficient and uniform spraying for a variety of environments and crops. Along with the deepening research on the flow field of UAVs and droplet movement principles, the development of droplet drift prediction and deposition control technology has also been greatly promoted. In addition, the development and application of autonomous driving, air-assisting, profiling and variable spraying control technologies have effectively guaranteed personnel safety and improved spraying efficiency.

However, there are still many essential technologies which need to break through in order to realize unmanned plant protection. For UAV-based remote sensing, the early detection of diseases and pests is of great significance to early prevention and control, while the accuracy of early diagnosis models is still low and limited to certain kinds of pests and diseases. For UAV-based spraying, issues regarding how to further reduce droplet drift, to realize real-time-sensing-based variable spray control, to improve penetration efficiency and deposition uniformity for high-density orchard tree canopies, and to construct multi-agent UAV–UGV cooperative operating systems still require further exploration in theoretical and technical research.

This Special Issue targets novel scientific ideas, schemes, results, possible applications, and new challenges and perspectives devoted to the UAV and UGV assistance paradigm and everything around crop protection using UAVs and UGVs. The particular topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to:

  1. Navigation control technology for crop protection via UAVs and UGVs;
  2. Dedicated sensors of UAVs and UGVs for crop protection applications;
  3. Precision spraying control technology for UAVs and UGVs;
  4. Design of application controllers for UAVs and UGVs;
  5. Pesticide drift models for crop protection applications of UAVs and UGVs;
  6. Task management systems for unmanned systems for crop protection;
  7. Real-time monitoring technology for UAV and UGV crop protection;
  8. Plant protection remote sensing UAV pod design, and its control and data transmission technology;
  9. Remote sensing sensors and spectral cameras for UAV plant protection;
  10. Diagnosis models of diseases, insects and weeds based on UAV remote sensing;
  11. UGV and UAV cooperative work control technology;
  12. Design of remote sensing by unmanned systems;
  13. Design of UAVs/UGVs for plant protection;
  14. Information management and management information systems for unmanned systems;
  15. Design of dusting and spraying equipment for UAVs and UGVs;
  16. Application cases of unmanned systems in agriculture and forestry.

Prof. Dr. Ruirui Zhang
Dr. Andrew Hewitt
Dr. Ahamed Tofael
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Drones is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • crop protection
  • chemical application
  • remote sensing
  • intelligent agriculture
  • forest protection
  • precision agriculture
  • agriculture aerial application

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 6907 KiB  
Article
Unoccupied-Aerial-Systems-Based Biophysical Analysis of Montmorency Cherry Orchards: A Comparative Study
by Grayson R. Morgan and Lane Stevenson
Drones 2024, 8(9), 494; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8090494 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 758
Abstract
With the global population on the rise and arable land diminishing, the need for sustainable and precision agriculture has become increasingly important. This study explores the application of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) in precision agriculture, specifically focusing on Montmorency cherry orchards in Payson, [...] Read more.
With the global population on the rise and arable land diminishing, the need for sustainable and precision agriculture has become increasingly important. This study explores the application of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) in precision agriculture, specifically focusing on Montmorency cherry orchards in Payson, Utah. Despite the widespread use of UAS for various crops, there is a notable gap in research concerning cherry orchards, which present unique challenges due to their physical structure. UAS data were gathered using an RTK-enabled DJI Mavic 3M, equipped with both RGB and multispectral cameras, to capture high-resolution imagery. This research investigates two primary applications of UAS in cherry orchards: tree height mapping and crop health assessment. We also evaluate the accuracy of tree height measurements derived from three UAS data processing software packages: Pix4D, Drone2Map, and DroneDeploy. Our results indicated that DroneDeploy provided the closest relationship to ground truth data with an R2 of 0.61 and an RMSE of 31.83 cm, while Pix4D showed the lowest accuracy. Furthermore, we examined the efficacy of RGB-based vegetation indices in predicting leaf area index (LAI), a key indicator of crop health, in the absence of more expensive multispectral sensors. Twelve RGB-based indices were tested for their correlation with LAI, with the IKAW index showing the strongest correlation (R = 0.36). However, the overall explanatory power of these indices was limited, with an R2 of 0.135 in the best-fitting model. Despite the promising results for tree height estimation, the correlation between RGB-based indices and LAI was underwhelming, suggesting the need for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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15 pages, 7403 KiB  
Article
Method of 3D Voxel Prescription Map Construction in Digital Orchard Management Based on LiDAR-RTK Boarded on a UGV
by Leng Han, Shubo Wang, Zhichong Wang, Liujian Jin and Xiongkui He
Drones 2023, 7(4), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7040242 - 30 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1946
Abstract
Precision application of pesticides based on tree canopy characteristics such as tree height is more environmentally friendly and healthier for humans. Offline prescription maps can be used to achieve precise pesticide application at low cost. To obtain a complete point cloud with detailed [...] Read more.
Precision application of pesticides based on tree canopy characteristics such as tree height is more environmentally friendly and healthier for humans. Offline prescription maps can be used to achieve precise pesticide application at low cost. To obtain a complete point cloud with detailed tree canopy information in orchards, a LiDAR-RTK fusion information acquisition system was developed on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) with an autonomous driving system. The point cloud was transformed into a geographic coordinate system for registration, and the Random sample consensus (RANSAC) was used to segment it into ground and canopy. A 3D voxel prescription map with a unit size of 0.25 m was constructed from the tree canopy point cloud. The height of 20 trees was geometrically measured to evaluate the accuracy of the voxel prescription map. The results showed that the RMSE between tree height calculated from the LiDAR obtained point cloud and the actual measured tree height was 0.42 m, the relative RMSE (rRMSE) was 10.86%, and the mean of absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 8.16%. The developed LiDAR-RTK fusion acquisition system can generate 3D prescription maps that meet the requirements of precision pesticide application. The information acquisition system of developed LiDAR-RTK fusion could construct 3D prescription maps autonomously that match the application requirements in digital orchard management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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21 pages, 11486 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation and Analysis of Droplet Drift Motion under Different Wind Speed Environments of Single-Rotor Plant Protection UAVs
by Juan Wang, Xiaoyi Lv, Bohong Wang, Xinguo Lan, Yingbin Yan, Shengde Chen and Yubin Lan
Drones 2023, 7(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7020128 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely used in plant protection, and the mechanism of droplet deposition drift while spraying with the 3WQF120-12 produced by Quanfeng Aviation, a representative model of single-rotor plant protection UAVs in China, still requires more research. This study [...] Read more.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely used in plant protection, and the mechanism of droplet deposition drift while spraying with the 3WQF120-12 produced by Quanfeng Aviation, a representative model of single-rotor plant protection UAVs in China, still requires more research. This study used a combination of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel experiments to analyze the droplet deposition drift pattern of the 3WQF120-12 single-rotor plant protection UAV. The CFD modeling of the nozzle was confirmed to be feasible using wind tunnel experiments. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between experimental and simulated values, and multiple correlation coefficients reached above 0.89, which is a robust correlation. In this study, CFD simulations were performed to simulate the drift of UAV spray droplets under the rotor wind field and the combined effect of front and side winds. The deposition of droplets at different heights was simulated. The UAV’s spraying conditions at different flight speeds, side wind magnitudes, and spraying heights were evaluated. According to the CFD simulation results of the 3WQF120-12 plant protection UAV, the recommended flight height is 1–3 m, the recommended flight speed is below 3 m/s, and the recommended ambient wind speed is within 3 m/s. The simulation results were verified by the field test, and the trend of the field experimental data and CFD simulation results are qualitatively consistent to verify the reasonableness and feasibility of the simulation’s data. The simulated results were similar to the curves and spray area of the field test results at operating heights of 1.5 m and 3.5 m. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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34 pages, 13097 KiB  
Article
Coverage Path Planning Based on the Optimization Strategy of Multiple Solar Powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
by Wenxin Le, Zhentao Xue, Jian Chen and Zichao Zhang
Drones 2022, 6(8), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6080203 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3472
Abstract
In some specific conditions, UAVs are required to obtain comprehensive information of an area or to operate in the area in an all-round way. In this case, the coverage path planning (CPP) is required. This paper proposes a solution to solve the problem [...] Read more.
In some specific conditions, UAVs are required to obtain comprehensive information of an area or to operate in the area in an all-round way. In this case, the coverage path planning (CPP) is required. This paper proposes a solution to solve the problem of short endurance time in the coverage path planning (CPP) problem of multi-solar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Firstly, the energy flow efficiency based on the energy model is proposed to evaluate the energy utilization efficiency during the operation. Moreover, for the areas with and without obstacles, the coverage path optimization model is proposed based on the undirected graph search method. The constraint equation is defined to restrict the UAV from accessing the undirected graph according to certain rules. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is proposed to determine the flight path of each UAV with the objective of minimizing operation time. Through the simulation experiment, compared with the Boustrophedon Cellular Decomposition method for coverage path planning, it is seen that the completion time is greatly improved. In addition, considering the impact of the attitude angle of the solar powered UAV when turning, the operation time and the total energy flow efficiency are defined as the optimization objective. The bi-objective model equation is established to solve the problem of the CPP. A large number of simulation experiments show that the optimization model in this paper selects different optimization objectives and applies to different shapes of areas to be covered, which has wide applicability and strong feasibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 2756 KiB  
Review
A Review of Drone Technology and Operation Processes in Agricultural Crop Spraying
by Argelia García-Munguía, Paloma Lucía Guerra-Ávila, Efraín Islas-Ojeda, Jorge Luis Flores-Sánchez, Otilio Vázquez-Martínez, Alberto Margarito García-Munguía and Otilio García-Munguía
Drones 2024, 8(11), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8110674 - 14 Nov 2024
Viewed by 884
Abstract
Precision agriculture is revolutionizing the management and production of agricultural crops. The development of new technologies in agriculture, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has proven to be an efficient option for spraying various compounds on crops. UAVs significantly contribute to enhancing precision [...] Read more.
Precision agriculture is revolutionizing the management and production of agricultural crops. The development of new technologies in agriculture, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), has proven to be an efficient option for spraying various compounds on crops. UAVs significantly contribute to enhancing precision agriculture. This review aims to determine whether integrating advanced precision technologies into drones for crop spraying enhances spraying accuracy compared to drones utilizing standard spraying technologies. To achieve this, 100 articles published between 2019 and 2024 were selected and analyzed. The information was summarized into five main areas: (1) improved spraying with agricultural drone technologies, (2) operational parameters, (3) spraying applications of chemical and natural compounds with agricultural drones, (4) evaluations of control pest efficacy, and (5) considerable limitations. Finally, considerations are presented on the advantages of drone technology with artificial intelligence (AI); the practical effects of reducing pesticides, which, in some cases, have reached a reduction of 30% compared to the recommended dose; and future directions for improving precision agriculture. The use of drones in precision agriculture presents technical and scientific challenges for the maximization of spraying efficiency and the minimization of agrochemical use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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27 pages, 3634 KiB  
Review
Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Monitoring Pastures and Forages in Agricultural Sciences: A Systematic Review
by Wagner Martins dos Santos, Lady Daiane Costa de Sousa Martins, Alan Cezar Bezerra, Luciana Sandra Bastos de Souza, Alexandre Maniçoba da Rosa Ferraz Jardim, Marcos Vinícius da Silva, Carlos André Alves de Souza and Thieres George Freire da Silva
Drones 2024, 8(10), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8100585 - 17 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1177
Abstract
With the growing demand for efficient solutions to face the challenges posed by population growth and climate change, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) emerges as a promising solution for monitoring biophysical and physiological parameters in forage crops due to their ability [...] Read more.
With the growing demand for efficient solutions to face the challenges posed by population growth and climate change, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) emerges as a promising solution for monitoring biophysical and physiological parameters in forage crops due to their ability to collect high-frequency and high-resolution data. This review addresses the main applications of UAVs in monitoring forage crop characteristics, in addition to evaluating advanced data processing techniques, including machine learning, to optimize the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production systems. In this paper, the Scopus and Web of Science databases were used to identify the applications of UAVs in forage assessment. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, the search resulted in 590 articles, of which 463 were filtered for duplicates and 238 were selected after screening. An analysis of the data revealed an annual growth rate of 35.50% in the production of articles, evidencing the growing interest in the theme. In addition to 1086 authors, 93 journals and 4740 citations were reviewed. Finally, our results contribute to the scientific community by consolidating information on the use of UAVs in precision farming, offering a solid basis for future research and practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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21 pages, 1079 KiB  
Review
Development Status and Key Technologies of Plant Protection UAVs in China: A Review
by Peng Hu, Ruirui Zhang, Jiaxuan Yang and Liping Chen
Drones 2022, 6(11), 354; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6110354 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5374
Abstract
Plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a crucial role in agricultural aviation services. In recent years, plant protection UAVs, which improve the accuracy and eco-friendliness of agricultural techniques, have been used to overcome the shortcomings of traditional agricultural operations. First, this paper [...] Read more.
Plant protection unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a crucial role in agricultural aviation services. In recent years, plant protection UAVs, which improve the accuracy and eco-friendliness of agricultural techniques, have been used to overcome the shortcomings of traditional agricultural operations. First, this paper introduces the development scale, main types, and operation scenarios of China’s plant protection UAVs. Subsequently, the key technologies of plant protection UAVs, such as precision autonomous flight control, pesticide spraying, drift control, and spraying quality measurement technologies, are reviewed. Next, the emergent technologies of plant protection UAVs are studied and analyzed with a focus on better spray effects, calculation models of droplet drift, controllable droplet size atomization technology, droplet drift detection technology, and droplet deposition quality detection technology in the application of plant protection UAVs. Moreover, the technologies of plant protection UAV application are summarized and future research prospects are presented, offering ideas for follow-up research on the key technologies of plant protection UAVs and encouraging agricultural production management to move toward better efficiency, eco-friendliness, and accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Crop Protection Using UAV and UGV)
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