SOPs for drone usage over crops on anvil

CHENNAI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Kisan Drone Yatra programme to help farmers in spraying pesticides at farms, a committee has been constituted for framing standard operating procedures (SOP) finalised the guidelines for using drones for seven crops.

At the Global Drone Expo held in the city on Saturday, S Pazhanivelan, Director of Water Technology Centre attached to Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, said that when the Kisan Drone Yatra applied in the field, it should be based on the standard operating procedures.

"We started working on the SOP for drone-usage for spraying pesticide, fungicide, and providing nutrition to the crops. As of now, we have completed framing SOPs for seven crops including rice, maize, cotton and others," Pazhanivelan, who is also the chairman of the committee that works on framing SOP, said.

He added that drones are currently being used by the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University for assessing crop damages during floods, draughts, cyclones and other events.

Speaking at the event, R Gopinath, senior scientist at MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), opined that drones should reach small and marginal farmers as 86 per cent of the cultivators in the country are small and marginal farmers.

"The small and marginal farmers cultivate over 45 per cent of the agricultural land," he pointed out.

Earlier during the event, Indian Drone Association was launched and office bearers of the newly formed association were announced. The association will act as a bridge between stakeholders such as users, manufacturers, bankers, insurers and others and the government in influencing the policy. The Global Drone Expo was organised by Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd, a drone manufacturing start-up.