Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in Precision Agriculture: Applications, challenges, and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Precision Agriculture (PA) is being revolutionized by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which enable for more effective resource utilization. PA will reach every corner of Sri Lanka in the next years. As a result, the purpose of this research is to (a) categorize UAVs in agriculture based on their performance characteristics, and (b) examine future challenges and research opportunities that will lead to the long-term deployment of UAVs in PA. The types, applications, advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and potential dangers of using UAVs in PA were critically reviewed, examined, and evaluated using scholarly research articles, conference proceeding papers, and previously published literature from the past fifteen years, and information gaps were identified. UAVs have been classified based on their major performance parameters such as weight, endurance and range, altitude, wing loading, engine type, and power/thrust loading. UAVs are more appropriate in agricultural practices due to their high spatial resolution and fast turnaround capabilities, as well as their low operating costs and ease of use. Livestock and wildlife management, crop monitoring, chemical and fertilizer application, weed detection, field mapping, and soil condition assessment are the major applications of UAVs. Some of the primary constraints observed are the capture and availability of images on time, a lack of high spatial resolution images, challenges with image interpretation, and data extraction. Overall, UAVs are one of the most important technologies that transform traditional cultivation practices into a new perspective of intelligence in PA.